


Jackpot

by Kui



Series: Roll the Dice, Let the Band Play [1]
Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Casino, Gen, M/M, aka gon in a bunny waiter outfit, and shameless gon multishipping, the most self indulgent au i've ever written
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-06
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-01-14 17:14:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 15
Words: 33,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1274554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kui/pseuds/Kui
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Its all about your luck.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hit the Slots

**Author's Note:**

> HOO BOY im so sorry to everyone whose been wanting a new chapter of elastic attraction, but due to zero inspiration on its part its on indefinite hiatus, gomen  
> so here have ANOTHER au that is hisogon centric, but of course with kirugon and a bunch of other gon pairings that are super rare so i must indulge in them here

"A job at the casino?" Mito stirs her coffee worriedly, parroting what Gon had suggested back to him.

"Uh-huh! They pay waiters really well there, and 12 is the minimum age! I'll be fine, Mito-san, really!" Gon says cheerily, trying to reassure his worrying aunt. They did need the money, what with her grandmother's medical bill climbing every week...

"Haven't you heard the rumors, Gon? That the Phantom Troupe works with them?"

"Yeah, but...I'll be fine!" he chirps. "Don't worry about me, worry about Grandma, okay?"

Mito shoots him a very wary look; the promise of more money was nice, for sure, but Gon's safety was at hand, especially with the threat of having to deal with one of the most infamous sections of the mafia hanging overhead. "Fine, but you have to pinky promise that you won't get hurt!" she offers with a sly smile, holding her little finger out to Gon. Gon happily obliges, hooking his with hers.

"If I lie if have to swallow a thousand needles..." Gon presses their thumbs together, "And sealed with a kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiss!" He smiles cheekily. Mito smiles back, but her eyes are solemn.

~♥♦♠♣~

The excitement of the casino’s enough to overwhelm Gon upon his entry; bright lights flash into his eyes, mingling with the smell of alcohol and the din of rattling slots and laughter. He weaves through the crowd like an excited puppy, beaming at everything he passes, until he makes it up to the reception area. He stands up as high as he can, balancing on the tips of his toes as he rings the bell on top of the large mahogany desk. A few moments later, a man with red hair and harlequinesque face paint emerges from the back and approaches the desk, peering over it to look at the small green-clad boy below.

"Hm? What do we have here? ♣" he muses, a smirk playing on his pale lips.

Gon feels a pang of anxiety shoot through him. "I-I'm Gon Freecss! And I'd like to apply for the waiter position!" he blurts out; the resulting sentence sounds awkward as hell when he stops to think about it, but he chooses to ignore it.

The man raises an eyebrow. "Hm? Ah, good, we needed one more. ♠" He opens the small door that leads to behind the desk and gestures to Gon. "Come to the back, we'll have you fitted. ♥" Gon happily follows, trotting behind the man like a puppy: excited and blind to whatever this entailed.

"How nice, a boy your age just started working here a month ago, I'm sure he'd be delighted to have a friend~ ♦" The sound of heels clacking on the flawless white floor was the only sound between them; Gon could practically hear his own heartbeat. He was accepted this easily? What luck!

After a stretch of silence, they reach the door to the fitting room. The red-haired man pauses. "Oh, how rude of me, I haven't even introduced myself yet." He whirls around and bows in one swift motion, offering the top hat he was wearing to the boy. "I am Hisoka, the owner of this casino. The pleasure is all mine. ♠"

Gon can't help but feel a bit flustered as Hisoka gingerly takes his small hand, softly kissing his fingers before straightening up and swinging around to the door. "Now, then. ♥" He murmurs, opening the old door with one gloved hand.

The dark storage room envelops the pair; Hisoka goes on ahead to rummage through a box. "You're roughly the same size as that boy, give or take a few inches. ♣" His face scrunched into a frustrated frown. "That’s strange. That white haired boy must have taken the last small size...unless you'd like the feminine uniform. I don't like to gender my outfits, but guessing by your age you wouldn't be too thrilled to walk around in feminine clothing...♠" He taps his chin.

"I don't care! As long as my legs are free, I'm fine!" Gon chirps, and Hisoka raises an eyebrow. Now this was unexpected. Obeying the boy’s request, he waltzes over to the box with the feminine uniforms and cracks it open, a bit of dust flying into the air as he does so. "I have plenty of smalls, and most of my female employees opt for the masculine uniform, so you're in luck~ ♥" He pulls out a package with a skimpy bunny outfit, the stereotypical image of something you'd see someone wearing in a casino. He tosses it to Gon, who catches it with lighting speed.

"Oh? Heels too, huh..." He studies the package. Along with the aforementioned black heels, which were adorned with red spades, the package also contained fishnet tights, black and red gloves with various suits adorning the ends, a heart choker, and a matching bunny eared headband.

"Do you not like them? ♦" Hisoka leans down to meet Gon's eyes. "I could fetch you something else, if you like. ♣"

Gon furiously shakes his head, actually messing up his hair in the process. "No! This is fine!"

"...♦." Hisoka grins, extending a finger to point to a door off to the side of the small room. "There’s the changing room. I'll be waiting outside.♥"

The man takes his leave, and Gon practically leaps into the changing room.

~♠♣♦♥~

Zipping up the one piece outfit, Gon takes a look at himself in the mirror. His legs and arms feel so free; grinning, he takes a minute to revel in it, windmilling his arms and enjoying the lack of restraint. He pulls on the fishnets next, struggling with them a bit before getting them secure around the base of his thigh. Wrapping the choker and buttoning it around his neck, placing the ears on top of his head, pulling on the gloves, and stepping into the heels, he nods at himself in the mirror; his transformation was complete. Everything was a near-perfect fit – even the heels were amply padded to ensure that he didn't get terrible blisters. As he takes a step towards the door, he wobbles a bit, his ankle nearly bending in two. "H-hah, I guess I'm gonna have to get used to this..." he murmurs to himself, gripping the doorknob tightly and managing to open the door without incident.

Hisoka stood waiting patiently against the adjacent wall. "How do I look?" Gon’s voice half-squeaked as his new boss’s golden eyes raked over his delicate form.

"Absolutely stunning. ♥" The older man strides over to him to get a better look. "It fits you like a glove, I'm glad~ ♠" he purrs, caressing Gon's face and gently tilting his chin upwards. 

‘Not yet...' Hisoka muses to himself, looking into Gon’s wide brown eyes. The temptation was there, but to act now would be such a waste.

Hisoka releases the boy and turns his back to him. "Now, shall we get going? I'll introduce you to your coworkers. ♣" Swiftly, he opens the door back to the narrow white hallway, and motions for Gon to follow.

~♥♣♦♠~

Once they move out into the main building, the sights and sounds of people laughing and talking overlaid with electronic sound effects and bright lights all make Gon well up with excitement. He trots along next to Hisoka, already getting used to balancing in the heels. People and other waiters rush by as they continue on; one person in particular catches Gon’s attention, as he’s sitting on a bar stool, the only thing still among all of this commotion.

"Oh? There you are. ♦" Hisoka simply smiles as the boy turns around. He’s got ruffled white hair that spikes out in all directions, and piercing blue eyes currently employed in half a pout. When he notices Gon next to Hisoka, though, his eyes soften into a curious expression and he hops down from his bar stool. "Whatcha got here, Hisoka?"

"Him? He's our new waiter. ♠"

Gon blushes slightly before nodding. "I'm Gon! What's your name?"

The other boy raises an eyebrow at his eagerness. "I'm Killua."

"Wah, that’s a cool name!"

Hisoka always did hire the weird ones, Killua thought wryly. But at least Gon looked cute in that outfit.

"I was hoping that you could show him around. ♥" Hisoka lets a smirk play across his lips, eyes locked on Killua’s.

Killua pretends to consider this. "Hmmm...Fine, as long as I'm still getting paid."

"Sure. ♣"

As Hisoka turns to leave, Killua breaks out into a grin and takes one of Gon's gloved hands. "C'mon! This is gonna be fun! Make sure you can keep up in heels!"

Gon doesn’t hesitate. "Let’s go!"

~♣♥♠♦~

The boys race down the aisles of slot machines and tables; Gon stumbles and nearly falls onto his face a few times, but still keeps up to Killua’s breakneck pace, both of them flying down the red and black carpet.

"Oi, Killua, what do you think you're doing?" a voice calls out; Killua slows to a stop as a blond boy in the same black-and-white uniform as him approaches.

"Yo, Kurapika." He twirls around to face the other boy just as Gon catches up to the both of them. "Oh yeah – Kurapika, this is Gon. He's new here," Killua mentions, grabbing Gon's arm.

Kurapika smiles warmly. "Nice to meet you, Gon. I'm Kurapika. I run the blackjack table over there,” he says, motioning to it with a white-gloved hand. "If you ever have trouble with anyone in here, call me, alright?"

Killua stifles a laugh. "He's like a mom to everyone around here. He'll have your back in a pinch."

Kurapika side-eyes the white haired boy before smiling again. He didn’t seem too fazed by the outfit Gon had on; working here, he'd probably seen worse.

"Oh, I should get back to my table. Have fun, you two!" He heads back towards the table he’d left behind, stumbling on a snag in the carpet as he does so; Gon wants to stay and make sure he doesn't fall again, but Killua tugs on his ear sharply and effectively tears him away from that.

"O-ow!" Gon cries, dashing to keep up with Killua. "What was that for?"

"Just to get your attention!” Killua mocks. “You’ve gotta keep up with me, newbie.”

They turn left down a row of slot machines quieter than the rest; the neon lights aren’t flashing, and no patrons line the stools in front of the machines. There’s only one machine lit up, and it’s currently split open from the looks of things. “Damn, another bad roll. This is definitely broken..." Gon stops in his tracks to see another man in a black-and-white uniform, kneeling down on the floor investigating something inside the machine.

Killua strides over to join Gon and smiles when he sees what caught his attention. "Old man, we have a newbie!" Killua yells, loud enough that the man jumps and smacks his head on the open section of the machine.

"G-guh-" His flowing silver hair covers his face as he gets up and turns to face them. He towers over the two as he sweeps his long hair out of his eyes; his annoyed expression quickly softens into a welcoming one. "Oh? A newbie, huh..." He crouches down to meet Gon's eye level. "I'm Kite. A slot technician. I've been here for years – if you need any help, just come find me." He outstretches his hand to the small boy, who takes it and shakes violently.

"I'm Gon! Nice to meet you!"

Kite's hooded eyes fly wide open. "Gon? As in Gon Freecss?"

Gon nods, a little puzzled by Kite’s knowledge of his last name.

"I knew those eyes reminded me of someone. Your father, Ging, was a security guard here. He fought off hordes and hordes of mafia goons all on his own. He saved my life more than once."

Gon's eyes light up. He always thought his dad was just a traveling billionaire – he never suspected something like this. "Wah, really? That’s amazing!" Gon bounces on his heels as Kite continues.

"He was certainly a wonderful man. But he couldn’t stand unnecessary baggage..." Kite mentions, seemingly offhanded. "He left 8 years ago to travel the world. No one’s heard from him since." Kite looks at the carpet, his eyes darkening. "I'm sure he's off in some foreign land having the time of his life," he hurriedly reassures Gon, who's starting to look a little down.

"Yo, old man, we have to get a move on. We want this kid to get started today! Small talk can come later," Killua snaps. Kite blushes slightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You boys go on, then."

Gon's smile is wide enough to crack his face in half as he leaps up and hooks his arms around Kite’s neck, hugging him as best he could. "Thank you, Kite!"

Kite turns bright red as he returns the hug, holding Gon there. "Ah, anytime." He lets him down, and Gon scurries back to Killua's side once again.

~♠♦♣♥~  
"Alright, last stop: the surveillance room. The old guy in here is really uptight, but he can't do anything to us ‘cause we're Hisoka's favorites!" Killua jeers. Gon contemplates this. He's one of Hisoka's favorites already?

Killua throws open the door; the man sitting in front of the screens nearly falls backwards. "Old man, we got a newbie!"

"I already told you, brat, you can't be in he- oh my God." The man's jaw hangs slightly agape as Gon comes into view.

Gon trots over to him, extending a gloved hand. "I'm Gon! What's your name?"

The older man stares incredulously for a few seconds until he comes to, shaking his head and returning the handshake. "Y-yeah, I'm Leorio. Nice to meet you." Gon makes a happy noise in the back of his throat, bouncing a little as he pulls his hand back. "As you can see, I watch everything that goes on in the casino. ‘S my job to call security, too. It’s not too much, but it’s vital what with all the mafia activity in this part of town."

Gon tilts his head. "Mafia activity?" He parrots Leorio's words.

"Don't worry about it, kid. It hasn't happened in months,” Leorio says, comforting the boy’s worries. "A-anyway, shoo, I need to keep watch. Nice to meet you, Gon. Get the hell out, Killua."

Killua sticks his tongue out at Leorio as he escorts Gon out of the room, slamming the door behind them; there’s a large bang followed by a string of curses. Score.

"Soooo," Killua starts as they walk down the long hall that leads to the main room.

"Hmmm?"

"Ya like it here so far?" Killua questions. Gon looks at the ceiling, crinkling his nose in thought.

"I do!" he exclaims, thinking about all the people he's met so far. "I love it."


	2. Lucky or Unlucky?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok ok i was really inspired to write last night so i stayed up really late to finish this and so did salem bless her soul  
> and and and also here is a map of the casino, courtesy of salem!!!! https://twitter.com/melancholem/status/441791785027657728  
> and apparently a line in here made her tear up and that may be something to keep in mind, huehuehue, ok shota casino chapter 2 start!!!!

Stumbling over a snag in the carpet, Gon struggles to balance the trays resting on his upturned palms. He sways and nearly drops them, but miraculously regains his balance; walking in these heels is harder than he’d previously thought. 

A voice from far away calls to him, echoing in the emptiness of the casino; Killua’s been monitoring his progress since he started, and now it’s late enough that the last drunks stumbling around the casino are being escorted out by security. "Careful there, newbie!" It’d been Killua’s idea to have Gon walk with weighted glasses on his trays instead of actual liquid – Killua isn't stupid enough to waste alcohol, or even water, in training Gon.

"I'm okay!" Gon crows in reply, turning back to start on the path marked out in neon tape again. He can’t help but be a little frustrated, though; one tray’s heavier than the other, making this more difficult than it has to be. 

"It’s all part of the job, newbie,” Killua says matter-of-factly as Gon takes a nose dive into the carpet. 

Gon sulks back to Killua to start the training all over again. He’s usually able to keep his balance in situations like this, but in heels it’s a different story. "Okay, try again." Killua nudges Gon with his foot from where he sits on the counter of the bar. Gon promptly topples over, getting a faceful of red and black carpet for the fifth time tonight. 

"Killua!" a sharp voice calls; the speaker sounds like an older woman, but Gon isn’t sure. Killua jumps at hearing his name, looking a little like a spooked cat. 

Gon picks himself up off the ground, glancing over to see a young blonde girl with a gently curling ponytail and a serious expression. She’s dressed in a long black and white gown adorned with various card suits, and has a sharp-looking red ribbon around her neck; it’s clear she’s not part of the waitstaff not only from how she’s dressed but by the way she carries herself. Curious, Gon tilts his head.

"Who are you?" he questions.

The girl straightens her posture and puffs out her chest when she notices Gon. "Oh! Killua, shouldn't you introduce us?" she snaps, and Killua groans. 

"Okay, okay, old hag," he mutters. The girl pays him no mind. "Gon, this is Biscuit Krueger, our manager. Call her Biske." Gon waves excitedly, brown eyes bright. "Biske, this is Gon. He's the newbie waiter."

Biscuit clasps her hands together in delight. "Nice to meet you, Gon. That outfit looks so precious on you!" She laughs to herself as she scans him: ‘Hisoka sure has a thing for hiring spirited young boys, doesn’t he?’

"T-thank you!" Gon replies, a little shakily. He's never been complimented on his clothing choice before; the green crop jacket and short shorts he usually wears aren't exactly the most fashionable things on the planet. 

"Killua, you're training him to carry weight while wearing heels?" Biscuit taps her chin with a gloved hand. "Hmm. Let me see what you’ve got."

She smiles slyly as Gon picks up the trays and plastic cups, re-adding the weights that’d fallen out. Killua arranges the cups on both trays and lays them out on Gon’s hands; Gon balances them there, waiting for instructions. He’s able to keep them perfectly balanced when standing, but when walking...

"Alright, now follow the tape," Biscuit commands, intently watching Gon’s movements. Gon obliges, walking forward as he usually does; when he inevitably stumbles on the carpet and falls, Biscuit rises to meet him. "Let’s try something." Biscuit helps Gon up and sets his tray up as it was before he took a dive. "Stand up straight. Puff out your chest – act proud! Keep your posture up, and block out all other sounds. It’s the best way to move in heels. Just put one foot in front of the other and don't think about anything else," she explains to an attentive Gon.

‘Oi,’ Killua thinks to himself. ‘At least they’re getting along.’

Gon does as he’s told. ‘Hold yourself high, block out all other noises...’ The casino seems to fall silent; Gon stares blankly ahead, nearly losing himself in the task at hand. Everything but the neon tape stretching out in front of him seems to disappear, so when he bumps into his destination table it comes as enough of a shock that he nearly falls into it. "U-uwa!" Gon cries, tottering a little, but he regains his balance just in time to catch the applause of not two but three people from behind him. 

He whirls around. Killua’s still perched on the bar, and Biscuit’s sitting on a bar stool in front of him; sometime in the past few minutes Hisoka joined the group, looking regal as he leans nonchalantly against the counter. Gon feels his cheeks heat up as he comes back over – this time he’s slightly distracted, but still only stumbles once. He’s definitely getting better.

"Killua, Biscuit – you two are done here. Go on with your business. ♣" Hisoka nods to the two of them, a clear sign of dismissal. Killua reluctantly hops off the high bar and waves to Gon; as he disappears into the rows of slot machines, the bright lights seem to consume him. Biscuit bows, flushing as she holds eye contact with Hisoka, and runs off giggling. She’s wearing high heels, too, but the graceful way she’s gliding in them makes walking look almost effortless. 

Waving after the two retreating figures, Gon feels a hand on his shoulder; he turns his head to see Hisoka standing just behind him, smiling slyly. "You're doing well so far, Gon. ♥" One finger gently traces down the line of Gon’s collarbone. "I knew you had the skill for it. ♠" 

Gon’s skin flushes hot under the praise, and he shifts as he looks down to the floor to try and hide his blush. Getting this much attention from Hisoka is something he wants to feel over and over again: he’ll make Hisoka proud no matter what it takes.

"Would you like a reward? ♦” 

Gon, shocked, whips around to face him and nods furiously. Hisoka chuckles softly. "Well, will this do?" He leans down, long nails delicate against Gon’s cheeks, and pulls the boy in for a long, sweet kiss. From someone as frightening as Hisoka, this kind of tenderness was definitely unexpected. Gon's eyes fly open, and then slowly, surely flutter shut. An adult kiss, huh...this is what it felt like? A delighted shudder bubbles outwards from Gon’s chest.

When the older man pulls away, he hovers in front of Gon's face for a moment. "Was that good? ♦" he whispers, and with a smirk he straightens back up. 

It takes Gon a few seconds to formulate a coherent reply. "Y-yes! I really liked it!" he yaps, almost like an excited puppy, ears perked and tail wagging. 

"Good. You'll be getting a lot more of those from now on. ♠" Hisoka says simply, turning on his heel and walking calmly back to his office. 

Gon waits until Hisoka’s out of earshot before bouncing up and down and giggling in celebration. He feels giddy, almost dizzy – he’s nearly thirteen, practically an adult himself, and he feels it now more than ever.

He’s jolted out of this state by a loud round of rapid-fire pops somewhere nearby – no, very nearby, he realizes, unsure of what’s going on until the window in front of him shatters. Glass litters the floor like diamonds as bullets pour in through the broken window; the screams of the patrons remaining in the casino waver over the rapid-fire clicking of machine guns. Gon flings himself into action; he grabs the arms of a few nearby customers and begins to lead them towards the back of the casino, moving as fast as his heels allow him. "Get down, and don't move until someone gives you the okay! Stay calm, everyone!" he reassures the people when they make it to the wall; some of them are already injured, and Gon knows for a fact that some of the people who lay sprawled out on the floor as his little group passed by were dead. 

Dashing back down the aisle, he hears fire from behind him and turns to see Biscuit and Killua; the former holds a large tommy gun, and the latter clutches a pistol. "Gon! Get down!" Killua yells over top of the gunfire, the sulfur and smoke in the air making his words come out choked. His face is pale – it’s clear the smoke isn’t affecting him nearly as much as the overpowering scent of blood and death in the room is. 

"I can't! I need to save all of those people!" Gon cries as the two pass him; he hasn’t even stopped running. 

"Idiot! You're going to get yourself killed!" Killua snarls, but makes no motion to stop Gon, instead continuing fire. 

There’s a young woman hiding under a table near the entrance, trembling in fear; tears streak down her face, already a mess of mascara. Gon spots her and flies towards her, dodging gunfire to duck under the table with her. "A-are you go-ing to help me?" she hiccups, terror clear in her wide eyes. 

"Uh-huh!" Gon nods, beaming reassuringly. "Just hold onto my hand!" He grabs the woman’s trembling hand and pulls her from out under the table. She loses her shoes as they run, but it barely matters as they weave and bob through the rows of slots. 

As Gon approaches the second row, he feels a sudden sharp pain in his shoulder – it’s searingly hot, and before he knows what’s going on he’s falling for the seventh time this night. 

"G-ghhh…" he groans, struggling to look up at the woman he’s trying to save. ”K-keep going! Run to the back!" he manages to shout before the pain stops him short, and he whines helplessly into the carpet, paralyzed. If one of the shooters approaches, he’s a goner. 

He hears his heartbeat loud like thunder – or is that a gunman’s footsteps? Thump. Thump. Thump. If he’s going to die, he hopes it’ll be quick; he’s paralyzed, unable to fight back or even move. 

A cold, metal cylinder presses against the side of his head. His eyes squeeze shut, tears pouring out silently. 

A gunshot. 

Gon realizes he isn’t dead, and opens his eyes to see Kite standing over him, a long rifle still shoved into the ruined mouth of a gunman. "Gon, are you alright?" he asks, voice frenetic as he drops the rifle and picks Gon up. The boy cries out in pain as Kite comes into contact with his gunshot wound, which was still fresh and terribly sore. "Oh, they got you, huh? The ambulance is on the way, but from where it hit..." Kite looks him over carefully, gentler this time as he touches around the wound. "Nothing vital was damaged – you're lucky, Gon. Just a few centimeters to the right, and they’d have hit your spinal cord." 

Kite holds Gon bridal style, hanging low under cover of the slot machines. The gunfire peters out and ceases as ambulance sirens roar in the distance; the shooters flee, leaving the ruined casino to gather itself back up and see to those injured and dead.

"…damn Chimera Ants. There hasn't been an attack in months," Kite sighs heavily. 

Gon hazily looks up at the man holding him, vision swimming. "Kite..." Gon weakly murmurs; said man looks down at him, worried but with warmth evident in his face. The small boy grips the collar of Kite's dress shirt with his good arm and pulls him down to his level, craning his neck to meet Kite’s lips with his own. This time, it’s Kite whose eyes shoot open, caught by surprise at Gon’s actions. Gon's own eyes are shut lightly as he tries to deepen the kiss as best he can. 

He finally lets go of the older man, smiling feebly. "That...was an adult kiss, right?" he asks, his eyes opening ever so slightly. "I learned that from Hisoka. I wanted to try it on you."

Kite sputters, face bright red. "Y-you...wanted to try it on me?!" He turns his head away. Discussing this now is hardly appropriate – Gon's consciousness is fading fast, and his wound’s started bleeding again.

He pops his head over the slots to see if it’s clear for certain. It seems that way: the other employees are out inspecting the damage. Killua and Biscuit in particular look frantic as they sweep the wreckage, probably searching for Gon. Kite comes out from behind the neon slot machines and into their line of view.

Both Killua and Biscuit look horrified at the sight of Gon as they dash to meet the taller man. "Oi! Gon! Is he okay?" Gon's breaths are shallow and raspy, and when Killua looks at him it’s as if he's seen a ghost. This is probably much worse, actually. 

Kite reassures the two, "He just passed out from pain. The wound is practically harmless. It’s in his shoulder – it didn't hit anything vital." Both seemed to have been holding their breath; at this, they let out matching sighs of relief. 

The crunch of broken glass being ground down further reaches the trio as Hisoka quickly approaches, wild-eyed. "Gon! Are...is he alright? ♣" 

Kite’s not sure how to respond to Hisoka – in all his years working here, he's never seen Hisoka show this much emotion towards anything. "He’s alright – he fainted, but the bullet only nicked him, so it’s only from pain. He's extremely lucky." 

The owner quickly regained his composure, shaking off his nervous expression for a more neutral one. "I see. Take him out front, the ambulances have arrived. ♦" He takes one last look at Gon's sleeping face before rushing away. 

Killua and Biscuit offer to stay inside to help clear away the debris, and Kite makes his way towards the entrance, careful of the broken glass as he slowly carries Gon’s unconscious body across the wreckage. Looking down at the boy’s peaceful face, still spattered with blood and tears, Kite can't help but feel solemn. 'What a first day.'


	3. Put your Money where your Mouth is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOO BOY im posting this english class god help me  
> this chapters a lil slow,, ,, things will pick up (hopefully) by the next!!!  
> ok enjoy u fricks

Gon's hospital visit, brief as it is, is relatively calm. The visitors rotate from Hisoka, to Kite, to Biscuit and Killua, to Kurapika and Leorio; Mito’s the only constant, as she’s been by Gon’s side since the second she’d been contacted about the shooting. The bullet was removed, but to make sure there aren’t any complications, Gon’s bound to the ward for an extra day. 

His deep and drawn out breaths soothe Mito as she sits at his bedside, clutching her nephew’s hand tightly. "I'm sorry, Gon. I knew it was a bad idea to let you go through with this..." She lets a few stray tears fall, emotions overwhelming her. 

Gon's eyes flutter open, and he squeezes her hand back, trying to reassure her. "Mito-san, it’s okay. I really love working there...I was just unlucky, is all. I'm fine, really..." 

He tries to prop himself up in the hospital bed, but when Mito tries to restrain him it’s not her scolding voice that reaches his ears: it’s a smoother, much deeper one. 

"Now, you should rest. I can't have you working in this condition. ♥" 

Gon sinks back into bed as he glances over at the doorway. The plain white walls look so unnatural around Hisoka's thin, colorful form. 

Mito glances worriedly back and forth between the pair as Gon's face lights up. "Hisoka!" he calls happily, tempted to bolt forward and embrace him; the IVs connected to his forearm are the only things holding him back.

"This is...?" Mito questions, eyes concerned as she watches Gon. 

"Mito-san, this is my boss, Hisoka!" Gon hums to himself as Hisoka walks to his bedside and kneels down beside him, his smile wide enough to crack his face in two as Mito releases his hand.

Hisoka turns smoothly to Mito, who still looks more than a little worried. "Your nephew has an extraordinary work ethic. Even on his first day, he risked his life to save the patrons inside. ♠" 

"He did? So the reason he was injured..." 

"Was because he was willing to give up his life. ♦" 

Gon manages a nervous smile, nodding to his aunt.

"Gon...you were?!" Mito can't hold back anymore, and lets the hot tears fall; she’s both proud of her nephew and horrified at his reckless lack of self-preservation. Sniveling, she tries to retain her composure, sobs wracking her body. "Just...please, Gon. Don't do that again. I'm begging you." 

Gon smiles, offering his little finger to his aunt.

If I lie I have to swallow a thousand needles.

Sealed with a kiss.

~♠♣♦♥~

Gon’s been begging Mito to let him go back to work for at least two hours now; she hasn’t yielded despite his best efforts to sway her, and at this point he’s genuinely on his knees, teetering on the verge of tears. 

"Please, Mito-san! I need to! I made a lot of friends there, and Hisoka is counting on me!" 

The woman looks down at the boy groveling at her feet. Honestly, she shouldn't give in... 

"...when there’s another attack, you need to go straight to the back, you hear me? Don’t try anything." 

Gon looks up from the hardwood floor, eyes sparkling. "You mean I can go back?"

Come on, Mito. You can't give Gon what he wants this easily-

"Yes, now go on."

Damn it.

~♦♣♥♠~

Gon practically flies to the reception desk when he makes it to the casino. The hot, mid-July air practically suffocated him on his walk there, but the promise of going back to work was enough to keep him going. Still panting, he jumps up to ring the bell, bouncing up and down with nervous excitement. This time, he would hopefully be able to wait on tables for real.

The door behind the counter opens with a loud, ear-piercing creak. "Back so soon? ♣" a voice from over the counter inquires; Gon perks up, the haze of cigar smoke not seeming to bother him at all. 

"Uh-huh! I'm ready to start for real this time!" he yaps, once again excited as a puppy.

Hisoka nods to him, opening the small door that leads to behind the counter. "Come on back and get changed. ♦" Gon leaps through, swinging open the old cedar door with ease and bounding down the white hallway towards the changing area. 

"Where do you think you're going? ♥" Hisoka purrs, voice almost dangerous in the emptiness of the hall. Gon's heart skips a beat – maybe a few – and he stops dead in his tracks, breath heavy. Hisoka places a hand on his shoulder and gently turns him around; Gon squeezes his eyes shut, heart still stuttering like a broken record. 

"You forgot your uniform. ♠" Hisoka articulates with a small smile. 

"Oh! Yeah, thank you!" Gon chirps, face still on fire from that ordeal. He turns around, pace quickening as his pulse slows back down again. His mind should go so south so fast. 

~♣♥♠♦~

Gon takes a breath of the hazy casino air, all ready to go in his uniform. He takes a few steps forward, but is quickly stopped by the voice of a certain white haired boy. 

"Oi, newbie! Good to see you're still breathin’," Killua calls, springing over to Gon and shoving his good shoulder teasingly. 

"Of course! Just a single bullet wouldn't take me down!" Gon jokes back as they weave their way through the crowd, headed towards the bar. 

"I can't believe you got your aunt to let you back in here."

"Neither can I!"

"So, you're here for good now?" 

"Uh-huh!"

"Good – it was getting kinda lonely around here." Killua playfully jabs Gon in the ribcage, earning a giggle that bubbles out from Gon's abdomen. They both hop up on bar stools to wait for orders to come in. "Waiting for people to start blowing money on drinks is the worst part," Killua sighs, slouching down in his seat and kicking his legs. 

Gon takes this as an opportunity to scan the casino. The red and black carpet is relatively bright compared to the smoky edges of the rest of the room; the bright neon lights of the slots attempt to shine through, but are dimmed by the thick haze of cigar smoke that surrounds them. The building resounds with the din of people laughing and talking, shouting and singing; the light-and-sound shows that are the slot machines rattle and whir under the quiet hum of neon lights. 

The entire place is enthralled in corruption and sin.

Yet Gon stays pure. 

"Oh yeah, Hisoka wanted me to give you this." Killua lays a shining silver revolver out on the table and nudges it towards Gon. Gon picks it up, fascinated as he looks it over; it’s the perfect size for him. "Oh yeah, and this." Killua thrusts a small holster with a black belt studded with diamonds, hearts, spades and clubs into Gon’s view. Guess he has to keep up the dress code. 

Gon secures the belt loosely around his abdomen; it slides down like it might be too big, but it’s stopped by his hips. Killua gives him a thumbs-up. "Looks good on ya, newbie! Anyway- do you even know how to fire a gun?"   
Gon nods. "Of course! Mito-san told me it was essential that I knew how to defend myself!" Especially in a neighborhood as terrible as this one. He shoves the gun in the holster, feeling strangely powerful. Killua grins at him before slipping back into his regular bored expression. 

A waitress approaches, her outfit seeming to have a bird motif; she smiles at the pair as she hands Killua a slip of paper. "This is for table 5 – the craps one." 

"Alright, I'll get on that." 

The waitress nods and heads back towards the tables. "Who was that?" Gon asks. 

"That’s Cluck – she’s a waitress. She takes the orders, we deliver them. There are a bunch of others running around." Killua hops off the barstool and waves the slip of paper in Gon’s face. "Let’s hand this over to the bartender. He's creepy, though. Don't look at him directly. "

Gon's face twists in confusion, then horror, as he slips off his stool and nearly botches the landing. 

The two of them head over to the bartender, who towers over not only the pair of them, but the bar. "Oi, here." Killua slips the paper to them, pointedly avoiding eye contact.

Gon looks up to see a person with a pure white masquerade mask on; their long black hair is done up in a bun, and they wear the same vest and slacks uniform that Killua’s sporting. Gon feels despair wash over him at the sight of them, and quickly turns his gaze to his heels. 

"Okay, just ring the bell when yer done," Killua finishes hastily, grabbing Gon's hand and dragging him away. 

"He's creepy..." Gon whispers once they're out of earshot.

"Tell me about it. He never says a word. Hisoka chatters at him all the time, though." 

"Weird..." Gon murmurs. Hisoka didn't strike him as that strange, sans the clown makeup and obsession with card suits. 

"Best not to think about it," Killua mumbles in reply, climbing back up on the barstool. 

Gon leans his elbows on the bar, eyes bright. "Ah, I forgot! Mito-san said we're going out for dinner after my shift is over! Are you doing anything special at home tonight, Killua?" 

Killua closes his eyes and smiles, but there’s a bittersweet edge to it. "Home, huh? I never want to go back there, so nah." Shaking his head like he’s trying to rid himself of something, he adorns a toothy grin. “Nothing special!”

"Huh? Oh, so...are you living with someone else?" 

"Nope. I live here,” Killua says matter-of-factly. 

"Really?"

"Yep."

A strange silence falls over the two of them as Gon watches his friend. He's never met anybody his age that’s so...rebellious? Is that even the right word? 

The silence is shattered – it was paper-thin, anyway – by the ringing of the bell. Killua nearly falls off the stool as he whirls around to face the bar. "Alright, thanks,” he mumbles to the bartender’s already-retreating form; turning back to Gon, he smirks and gestures to the tray. "You got this, newbie?" 

Gon nods furiously and carefully slides the tray off the counter, balancing it on his open palm. He lets gravity slide him off the barstool, still keeping his balance. Walking forward, puffing his chest out, he focuses on the path ahead of him; Table 5 is a ways away, but with enough focus, he’ll be able to pull it off.

The casino melts away so that he only sees the table. His eyes glaze over as he focuses on not falling on his face. 

But as the casino fades, so do all the obstacles. 

Bad idea, that.

Gon smacks into a man head on; the tray falls out of his hand as he stumbles and the floor rushes up to meet him. He feels his life flashing before his eyes – well, not really, but all that hard work at perfecting his walking in heels technique...

The man swoops down without missing a beat, catching Gon in one arm and the tray in the other hand. Gon blinks, trying to process what happened. The man looks down at him, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Are you alright?" he asks, voice smooth as silk. 

Gon blinks a few more times, composure for the most part regained. "I-I'm okay! Thank yo-" Looking the man in the face for the first time, he’s more than a little breathtaken. The man has the deepest gray eyes Gon’s ever seen; a cross-like tattoo on his forehead is just visible under the line of his slicked-back black hair. 

The man lets him go, and Gon stumbles a bit, brushing imaginary dust off his knees as he stares at his rescuer. He’s accompanied by a blond boy, looking about 18, and a blonde woman; all three of them wear sharp-looking suits. "I believe this is yours,” the man says simply, handing Gon the tray. Miraculously, nothing’s spilled. 

Gon rebalances the tray, nodding to the pair accompanying the man. "Thank you!" he says, and speed walks away, worries about balancing completely forgotten as he finally makes it to the table. He smiles at the patrons as he places the tray down. The men at the table smile back; Gon’s a black hole of endearment. 

Turning away, Gon heads back towards Killua to wait for more orders. As he approaches, he notices the trio he ran into previously leaning on the bar, the black-haired man engaged in intense conversation with Hisoka while his companions look on. Hisoka notices him and smirks, beckoning to him to come over. "Oh, Gon! Chrollo, this is Gon, one of our new waiters. ♦" 

Chrollo looks down at the boy, politely not mentioning their past encounter. "Hello, Gon." He gets down on one knee to look Gon in the eye, taking one of the boy’s gloved hands and kissing it ever so lightly. Gon feels his face heat up as Chrollo straightens to face Hisoka again.

"This is the boy who took a bullet for a patron the other day, you know. ♠" 

Chrollo raises an eyebrow. "Is that so? You're exceptionally brave." His voice is almost melodic, entrancing Gon. The pair that accompanies him looks surprised, but both of them smile at him; Gon feels his chest swell up with pride. 

Someone taps his shoulder, and he whirls around to see a girl with glasses and what looks like a dog motif to her outfit. Her green skirt sparkles in the light. "Excuse me. I have an order for Table 14 – the blackjack one down the way. Is that alright, Gon?" she asks, handing him the slip of paper without waiting for an answer. 

"Oh, of course!" He nods, waving to Hisoka and Chrollo as he rushes back to the bar. 

Killua smiles at him as he approaches. "That sure was lucky." 

"Y-you saw?" Gon questions, embarrassed. 

"Uh-huh. And that’s not just anybody, either – that’s Chrollo Lucifer, the leader of the Phantom Troupe! The two with him are members," Killua says, squinting at Gon a little smugly. “You’re lucky you escaped with your life. I wouldn’t tangle with the mafia if you paid me.” 

"The mafia?! Really?" Gon hops up and down, excited. "That’s so cool!"

"Cool? Geez, you really are hopeless." Killua laughs as Gon hands him the slip of paper. “Alright, I'll get this to ya ASAP.” He slides off the barstool, smoke enveloping his figure as he disappears behind the bar.


	4. Holding your Own

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK OK im so sorry this took so long, end of the marking period ripped me to shreds bbbb  
> also ive been getting a lot of positive feedback and fanart and!!! im so happy omf, i wanna kiss u all, thank u all so much!! ok, on with the show!

It’s another restless night in the casino – the air’s filled with cigar smoke and swing music, the tapping of feet mixing like cocktails with the scattered voices of people. The stage and the dance floor that stretches out in front of it it are surrounded with patrons rocking their hips to the beat of the band playing in the corner. Biske’s the star for tonight, her singing voice something to behold; she grips the microphone passionately, not missing a beat as she executes a perfect twirl that makes her silver dress shimmer and twist in the low light. 

Meanwhile, Gon stands on the outskirts of the throng, stunned. Friday nights were definitely something. The patrons as a whole had completely flooded the dance floor, leaving only a few drunken stragglers at the tables and bars. Sparkles fill the air from sequined dresses catching the light; the atmosphere feels an artificial sort of magical. 

"What animals, huh?" He feels an elbow rest on his shoulder, and jumps; it’s only Killua, though, and the two of them share a grin. 

"Not really. I think it’s really neat-looking!" Gon kind of wants a long dress like some of the patrons that move past him have on, but this outfit’s fine too. 

Killua raises an eyebrow, blue eyes rolling. "Geez, how lame can you possibly be, newbie?" 

Gon pouts slightly. "I have a name, you know." 

"Yeah, and until you've worked here for a while, it’s ‘newbie’." 

Gon reaches to poke at Killua, but stops when he hears someone come up next to them. "You two, what are you doing here?" 

Killua lets out an exaggerated sigh and turns to give the new speaker a pointed look. "What do you want, Kurapika?" 

The blond comes to stand in front of them, hands on his hips. "Shouldn't you two being doing something?" 

"We’d have something to do if the drunks would drag their asses off the dance floor and order somethin’ already." 

Kurapika sighs through his nose and levels a glare at Killua; his face softens when he looks at Gon, who’s currently majorly spaced out. "I can give you two something to do. Gon, would you like to dance?" 

Shooting up straight at the sound of his name, Gon dithers a little, confused. "Huh? I don't know how-"

"You'll be fine, just follow my lead,” Kurapika reassures him, taking his arm gently. Killua winks and Gon, whose head is still swimming with the sights and sounds surrounding him, lets Kurapika lead him away. 

The dance floor’s alive with movement, the dancers’ clothing blending together like watercolor in time with the music. Gon and Kurapika end up swept into the middle; Kurapika quickly clasps Gon’s hand, taking the lead as the blaring swing music starts to play. Their feet move around the scuffed hardwood floor almost feverishly – Gon nearly stumbles over himself as his heels threaten to trip him up. 

"See? This isn't so bad!" Kurapika shouts over the music, barely audible through the ringing in Gon’s ears. Gon nods – he’s a little overwhelmed, but he’s starting to get the hang of this. 

As the tempo picks up and the music slides into a frenzied crescendo, Kurapika smiles to himself. He takes Gon's hand and twirls him around almost effortlessly; Gon’s eyes go wide as Kurapika pulls him back in and dips him almost to the floor. 

Dazed, Gon tries to compute what just happened. "Alright, alright, we should get back to work now," Kurapika says with a warm smile, and Gon nods, head still spinning. Weaving and bobbing through the crowd, the two of them manage to get back to the edge of the dance floor; as soon as Gon steps on the carpet again, he feels a sharp smack on the small of his back.

"You did pretty good out there, newbie!" Killua jeers. Gon rubs his stinging back with a childish, pouty frown. 

"Hey, that hurt!"

"Yeah, so? Builds character." 

Kurapika puts a hand on both of their shoulders, effectively stopping the scuffle that was threatening to break out. "Quit that, you two. We should go back to our stations now." He turns to walk away, but stops abruptly and faces Gon again. "Oh, Gon- you did very well out there. I hope we can do this again sometime." 

Killua sticks his tongue out at Kurapika and grabs Gon by the arm, dragging him back towards the bar.

～♦♠♥♣ ～

"This blows. We're stuck here until they get off the dance floor," Killua whines as he climbs onto a barstool, Gon following closely behind. 

"I don't mind! At least we aren't working!" Gon chirps, trying to raise the white-haired boy’s spirit. 

"I guess so,” Killua mumbles, seeming put-off by Gon’s good attitude.

A strange silence feel over the two. An almost hazy one. 

"...Do you have any siblings?" Gon asks.

Killua flinches like someone punched him in the gut. "Yeah,” he grunts, averting eye contact.

"So what are they like?" 

"Oldest brother’s a creep. My other brother is pretty okay. My youngest is nice, don't see him too much." Killua takes a breath. "My sister...she’s the only one I really love." He smiles, but it’s bittersweet. 

"I don't have any siblings – I'm kinda jealous! I want to have a nice younger sister!" Gon barks, excited. 

Killua looks over at him, blue eyes softer than usual. "Yeah, she’s the only one I care about. Everybody else...not so much. I can't even get close to my little brother ‘cause my mom’s always hovering over him! How lame is that? I wanted to be his friend!" He sighs heavily. Letting out all this emotional baggage on Gon felt good, somehow. 

Killua jolts at the sudden feeling of Gon's hand rubbing circles on his back. "Hey, what the hell are you doing?" he snaps, but Gon keeps rubbing him. 

"Any time I was upset, Mito-san would always rub my back, and it made me feel better!"

"You're really weird,” Killua murmurs. But, he had to admit, this was nice. 

Gon just hums in response, rubbing Killua’s back soothingly. A warm atmosphere fell over the pair, but it didn’t feel like the same heat coming from the overwhelming haze of cigar smoke. A warmth. Something comforting.

A familiar figure darted across Gon's peripheral vision, and he whips around to catch who it is. It's that man again - Chrollo, was it? Gon nearly leaps out of his chair to go after him, but feels something tug sharply at his neck, hard enough to him gag. Killua had snatched his collar, roughly yanking him back.

"Idiot! Just because he spared you one time doesn't mean he's going to let you live again!" 

Gon coughed, before rubbing his throat in pain. "But..."

"Nope. Forget it."

Gon lets out a choked whine before peering after Chrollo. He’s standing in Hisoka’s office; Gon doesn’t remember ever seeing the door open before, but he can see into it perfectly now, and both Chrollo and Hisoka seem awfully distracted. 

Killua smirks. "You in the mood for some espionage?" he asks slyly. Gon tilts his head. 

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we sneak in Hisoka’s office through the vents. Those two go in there to discuss private things – we might find out somethin' useful!"

"Useful?"

"Yeah! I mean – it wouldn't hurt."

Gon’s skeptical. What good could spying on Hisoka do? Nevertheless, he nods his head in agreement.

Killua hops down from his stool and stretches. "Alright! Let’s get a move on." He windmills his arms as Gon follows him down. 

~♦♠♣♥~

The two of them wind through rows of machines to a place far away from the regular bounce and swing of the casino. Gon’s ears are still ringing as he kneels next to Killua by the air vents.

"Okay, I think this is the one. The bolts are loose around the edges." Killua tugs on the metal square, and lo and behold, it comes undone. He gingerly places the cover to the side and waves for Gon to go on ahead. Gon nods before getting on all fours and wiggling inside of the narrow entrance. The vents themselves were actually very spacious; Gon can comfortably shimmy through them. Killua follows closely behind, every so often telling him where to turn. The tight corridor of the air vent was confining and made Gon a bit nervous, but he enjoyed being able to traverse around the large building up in the vents.

"Here, see? Look down, there's Hisoka's office."

Gon peers down at Killua’s command; Hisoka and Chrollo were clearly visible in the room below. Both boys were dead silent as the two older men discussed something in low voices.

"...the attacks have been getting more violent. Could it be?" 

Hisoka nods solemly. "Indeed. They could be planning to do a full-scale takeover. ♦"

"I don’t think the Troupe and I could handle that alone, honestly. With the way their gang’s been growing, we'll fall quickly."

"Hmm? That would be interesting to watch. ♠"

"Hardly. It would be terribly one-sided with all of their troops."

"We could always call in some favors. ♥" 

"The police force?" Chrollo taps his chin. "That’s definitely an option." 

"We’ve got other forces, too...including that boy you've taken a liking to. ♣"

Chrollo smiles warmly at the mention of Gon. "You've noticed, huh? I suppose I have. That boy has this charm radiating off of him."

"I know what you mean. ♦"

This time, the silence between them was almost warm. When Chrollo finally shakes his head, the mood grows cold once again. "So. Will you handle the favors? I’ll take a few members to the ants' nests down the road. Are you and your soldiers up for taking down the King?"

"Soldiers? Why, of course. I see a lot of potential in all of them. ♠"

"Alright. Contact me once you find it fit to run the invasion."

"Don't you worry, I won't do it for a while. ♥"

Chrollo smiles sorrowfully, a trace of fear flashing briefly across his face as he leaves the room. 

"Okay, let’s move," Killua whispers sharply, and Gon snaps out of his trace. The two of them turn around, crawling quickly through the tight air vents, the smell of metal almost choking the pair. The usual din of voices enters their range of hearing; Gon looks down at the grating below him, watching the people moving down on the floor. "C'mon, Gon we gotta hur-"

Crack. 

The vents bend. The grate below Gon was about to fall. 

"Gon!"

BANG.

Before Gon knows what’s happening, he’s freefalling from 30 feet up – the vent broke under him. He’s survived falls worse than this, but if he lands on a patron…

Some screams cut the air as he falls; Gon stares up at the vents, watching Killua’s horrified face grow smaller and smaller. He feels like he's moving underwater; the smoke of the casino envelopes his small figure as he falls. He closes his eyes, awaiting impact, allowing the smoke to consume him. 

He's just about to hit the ground. He can already feel the shock of pain up his spine.

His eyes shoot open as he feels a pair of arms under him, swinging down to absorb the shock of his fall. Shocked, he looks up into the face of his savior – Chrollo, of all people, is the one smiling down at him. People's hollering laughter and applause overwhelm Gon as blood rushes to his face.

"Well, hello, Gon.”

"H-Hello!"

Chrollo chuckles slighly to himself. "It seems you've fallen for me."

Gon’s temperature rises to critical levels. That was so smooth it struck fear into his heart.

As the pair stare into each other’s eyes, Killua came crashing down next to them. Neither spare a glance at him as he leaps up, angrily declaring "I could have died!" Instead, the two of them sit in silence, gazing at each other like lovestruck school girls. 

"Should I let you down?"

"No! I'm fine here!" 

Hisoka appears next to Chrollo, seemingly out of thin air. "Ah, it looks like you saved my little waiter. ♣"

Gon's face can’t get any redder. Chrollo slowly lets the boy down, and he totters to Hisoka's side; the older man grabs his hand and squeezes it, almost comfortingly. Gon's heart beats a mile a minute, surging with a typhoon of confusing, red-hot feelings. 

He feels a sharp tug at his ear, and is forcibly dragged backwards. Hisoka releases his hand, looking back at him as he’s being pulled away. 

"You IDIOT!” Killua hisses, furious. “We almost got caught! Let’s just hope they assume that we were exploring."

Gon's brain is still struggling to process what just happened; he can only nod blindly as Killua shoves him back behind the bar and the smoky air of the casino consumes him.


	5. High Rollers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOPS SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG it was both salem and i's fault, bows v sadly  
> the next chapter should be coming soon too, this is a kinda slow chapter,,,  
> BUT!!! enjoy!!!!!

Swinging his hips a bit as he walks, Gon precariously balances the drinks on his open palm. He passes the many patrons - some give him a small smile, as he’s the smallest thing scurrying around in there. 

Gon bounces over to Kurapika’s table, placing the drinks on there as the blond fondly gazes at the boy. 

"How’s everything been going, Kurapika?" Gon chirps, his brown eyes staring into Kurapika’s grey ones. 

"Fine, fine. We had a pair trying to cheat an hour ago – you probably saw the commotion." 

"Yeah! Are you okay? Did they try anything?" 

"One threw a punch, but I broke his hand." 

"Ah...You're really strong!"

Kurapika blushes slightly. "Oh, it’s not that hard. I'm sure you could do it too."

As strange of a compliment that is, Gon’s eyes sparkle. He becomes hyperaware of the revolver in the holder around his waist and feels powerful. 

Plink. He feels something hit the back of his head. A poker chip? He turns around. Seems like some men from the adjacent blackjack table threw it. 

"Ey, twink, could we get some service over here?!" Gon clutches the tray to his chest as they hoot and holler provocatively.  
Kurapika's eyes flash red – or at least, Gon could swear he saw them change color. "Hey, leave him alone, you bastards!" He steps in front of Gon and walks over to the table. The men, belligerently drunk, just laugh as Kurapika comes closer, murder written all over his face. 

"What, we just want some services from 'im. What's so bad about that?" One of the men smirks, and Kurapika stalks around to his side of the table, pulling out a chain from the back of his belt and tugging on it from both sides repeatedly to threaten. The men keep laughing. He’s about to strike– 

A card. A rifle. A knife.

All three men had these things either to their neck or head. Hisoka, Kite, and Killua stand behind each of them individually. 

"My, my, are you teasing my little waiter? He's very important to me, you know. ♥" Hisoka cuts a small slit on the side of one man’s neck, barely avoiding his jugular. 

The man lets out a yell, apologizing profusely. Hisoka smiles, and nods to the rest of them; Kite huffs and put down his rifle, and Killua pouts as he pulls away his knife and stuffs it back in his pocket. 

All three of the men scramble out of their seats towards the entrance, as fast as their legs can go. A loud applause overtakes the casino; Hisoka chuckles, and both Kite and Killua blush. Kurapika ties his chain to the back of his belt, sighing in relief.   
Gon leaps over to the four of them, beaming, eyes gleaming. "That was so cool! You all saved me like...some kind of superheroes!" he cheers, hopping up and down despite his high heels.

"I’m no hero, newbie, you just looked like you need help." Killua rubs the back of his head, flustered.

Kite nods at the small boy. "It’s no problem. Anytime anyone gives you any trouble, feel free to yell." He brushes long silver strands of hair out of his face. 

"Oh, and, Hiso-" Gon turns to where Hisoka had been standing, but he’d up and disappeared, apparently some time ago. "Oh," Gon mouths, looking around, trying to find him. 

Killua roughly grabs Gon’s hand and drags him back towards the bar. His face is beet red – he’s obviously not used to getting a standing ovation. He stalks back to his seat, slinging Gon onto the bar stool next to him. 

"That was stupid."

"You were so cool, Killua! Your eyes, they looked so scary and sunken!!"

"Oh, I still get like that when I try to kill, huh..."

Gon blinks. "What do you-"

"I’m from a family of assassins. They were all terrible to me, so I left. I send money back to my little sister so she can save up to run away." Killua hangs his head and lets out a deep, guttural sigh, coming from the bottom of his lungs, and deep inside his heart. 

Gon stares worriedly. He wants to reach out, but it feels like an invisible wall stands between them. So he just stares. Helpless.

"But, it's fine! I'm away from them now." Killua says, putting on a toothy grin, trying to break the deep-rooted tension. 

Gon smiles back, but he doesn’t know why.

~♥♦♠♣~

"Gon, Killua~ ♣" A familiar voice rings through the boys’ ears; they turn to their left as Hisoka approaches with someone new in tow. 

He’s short, about Killua's height, with a mane of messy, shoulder-length red hair and the same dress pants, button-up and vest uniform as Killua. His eyebrows are thick, he has a button nose, and freckles lightly dust his face. He’s also wearing a look of mild discomfort: possibly something to do with how Hisoka has a hand gripped on his shoulder as he leads him along.

"Wow, two newbies in two weeks? I guess I have my work cut out for me," Killua says with a smirk, hopping off the barstool. Gon follows, but not without nearly breaking his ankle, as usual. 

The newbie’s overall demeanor was timid – he looked like the kind of person whose face was constantly contorted into a look of worry. Killua had to smile. The boy shyly smiled back. 

"This is Ikalgo. He recently moved here. ♣" Hisoka says, playfully squeezing Ikalgo's shoulder. The red haired boy jumps a bit, but nods to confirm Hisoka's introduction. 

"I-I'll do my best!" he chirps; his voice is slightly deeper than the pair expected.

"Oi, how old are you?" Killua asks, inquisitively jabbing a finger in his direction. 

"Seventeen." 

Time seems to freeze from the pure embarrassment Gon and Killua felt. They assumed he was their age...!

"...Is something wrong?" Ikalgo asks, tilting his head slightly in concern. 

"No, it's nothing..." Killua hastily covers his ass – thankfully he hadn’t assumed anything out loud. 

The evening crowd’s starting to pour in, the reflections of sequins and lights dancing on the boys’ skin. Slowly, surely, the lights dim, and the dance floor lights up like their own personal sun, right here in the casino. The clacking of heels, laughter of people, and the loud swing music fill their ears. Another wondrous night, made hazy with the scent of alcohol and smoke of cigars. 

"Alright, go on. Killua will teach you how to be a waiter. Do your best. ♦" Hisoka slips into the darkness of the bar without so much as a goodbye. But Gon still waves frantically, almost wanting to follow him into the inky blackness. Killua grabs the collar of his outfit, and tugs lightly, shaking his head; Gon looks disappointed, but backs up. 

Nobody’s occupied the bar stools just yet. Everyone’s still dancing to the booming brass band: not until they got tired, or just wanted to get drunk, would they mosey on over here. The three boys sit there, watching, waiting for someone to order. In the distance, Kurapika seems equally bored – he shuffles the deck over and over again, and every so often his chest heaves in a heavy sigh. No one seems in the mood to dance. 

Gon does notice one thing – the cameras aren't moving anymore. They’d been moving for the past few minutes, but suddenly stopped. He doesn't say anything, but he has a sneaking suspicion of what’s up

Suddenly, a box is placed in Gon's lap. He jolts up and looks around to see who it’s from, and notices the bartender slipping behind the bar again. He could swear they’d mumbled something to themself, disgruntled. 

Gon looks back down to study the present he’s been given. In neat cursive handwriting, the tag tied to the bow reads: "From: Hisoka ♠"  
The boy beams as Killua leans over to see what all this is about. "Make sure it's not a bomb,” Killua half-jokes, making Gon pout. Ikalgo leans over, too, light blue eyes eyes fixated on the sparkly green box. 

"What do you think it is?" he asks, and Gon shrugs.

"Dunno. But since it's from Hisoka..." Gon carefully undoes the bow on top of the box, letting it lazily drop to the ground, and pulls off the lid. 

The contents of the box make all of them gasp.

It’s a sparkly, green flapper dress, adorned with beads and jewels shaped like flowers, a headdress, and matching high-heels. Gon beams even wider. Killua lets out a long whistle, and Ikalgo breathes an awestruck 'Wow...'

"That’s got to be worth a fortune!" Killua exclaims, taking a look at it. "At least seven million Jenni." 

"That much?" Gon shouts, and jumps up and down in his seat. "He must really like me!" 

As Gon happily pulls the glitter nightmare out of its box, a note falls out. Killua swoops to catch it, and reads it before Gon can. Gon lunges at the white haired boy, whining about how it’s a private note, Killua, seriously!, but Killua simply grabs Gon's face and pushes him away as he reads it. 

"Damn, Gon,” Killua says as he hands the boy the note. In perfect handwriting, that of a gentlemen, what was disclosed makes Gon blush deep red.

"Now, my little waiter. Get out there, dance, make some 'friends', alright? I want you to be happy. Don't hesitate – act on passion alone. ♥" -Hisoka.


	6. All or Nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AS AN APOLOGY FOR MY LATENESS WITH THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER HAVE ANOTHER!!!  
> yeah. yeah, im gross, i know,

The dress fits Gon perfectly – it’s to be expected, what with Hisoka being Hisoka, but Gon just can’t get over how beautiful the whole thing is. The jewels shimmer under the dim lights; Gon’s lit up like a forest green disco ball, and his face lights up to match as he beams out across the dance floor. The way the crowd looks, twisting and stomping to the beat of the band, makes him feel at home. 

Killua shoves his hands in his pockets, seeming impatient. "I'm no dancer. All I know is how to ballroom dance, and that’s because my mom forced me to." His brow furrows in frustration, but he brushes it off: Gon’s too preoccupied with the bounce of the brass band to notice, anyway. “Go have fun, though,” he says, eyes fixed on Gon’s smile.

~♦♣♥♠~

The security cameras are all fixed on the dance floor as Leorio paces around his office, pointedly refusing to acknowledge the heavy flush spreading across his cheeks as he watches the monitors. Gon’s standing by the dance floor, but Killua doesn’t seem to be his dancing partner.

'What if I just asked him to dance?' he thinks, tugging on his collar nervously; Gon’s swaying on the monitors, the sequins of his dress barely catching the light in the low-res camera. The worst answer he could get would just be a ‘no’, after all – well, hopefully. Gon’s a sweet kid. He wouldn't reject him too harshly, right?

Swallowing his nerves – and, a little regretfully, his pride – Leorio snatches his suit jacket from the back of his chair and storms from the office.

~♦♣♠♥~

The music’s nearly loud enough to burst his eardrums as he advances towards the pair on the edge of the dance floor. It’s not hard to keep track of them. Gon’s a bouncy, sparkling beacon in the shimmering sea of the casino.

Maybe he should go out for a smoke before he does this? It would calm his nerves, at least. He stops himself, though, giving himself an internal pep talk. 'You'll be fine. It's really fine.' 

He’s not the best at pep talks.

Taking one last deep breath, he strides over to the shining, sparkling young boy, who’s bouncing on his heels to the beat. ‘It’s fine,’ he repeats to himself, thumbs in his pockets as he tries not to slouch – he’s never actually done anything like this before. Pausing to wipe his hands on the legs of his pants, he puts a hand on Gon's shoulder very lightly.

Gon whirls around, face going from curious to a grin wide enough to crack his face in half as he realizes who’s in front of him. "Leorio!" he nearly shouts in the man’s face as he bounces up and down. Leorio sighs internally, relieved – Gon seems ecstatic to see him, at least.

"Uh, hey, Gon,” is all he can manage. Should he ask now? Should he wait? Killua’s glaring daggers at him, which isn’t helping anything. 

The music makes the ground shake under them, and the patrons’ stomping makes it worse, but above all else, the biggest tremor in the entire casino is Leorio’s own heart. Thump. Thump. Thump. It rattles his being with every beat, audible even over the blood roaring in his ears.

"Leorio? Are you okay?” 

Leorio shakes his head, a little dazed. "Huh? Oh- Yeah, I'm fine. I just-"

"You just whaaat~?" Gon draws out the sentence teasingly, making him blush. 

"You see, I...I saw you wanted to dance." 

"You were watching us?" Killua snapped. "That’s pretty creepy, old man." 

"I'm only twenty! I'm no old man yet!"

“Tch,” Killua huffs, looking indignantly into the crowd. 

"Anyway, I thought...that maybe...I could...” Leorio continues, wanting to die. Spit it out, Paladiknight. "Dance with you?" 

All or nothing. 

Gon's brown eyes flicker as he remembers the note that came along with his dress. "Don't hesitate. Act on passion alone," Hisoka had said. Passion alone, huh... He’s still turning the words over in his mind as he nods furiously to Leorio. 

"Of course! Killua's a spoilsport and doesn't want to dance..." Killua makes a mock talking motion with his hand before shoving it back into his pocket, pouting, and Gon giggles.

Leorio’s smirking the same dumb smirk he always wears, usually saved for when Kurapika responds to his teasing, but this time it’s different somehow. Gon can’t figure out why.

"Let's go!" Gon drags Leorio by the tie out to the dance floor; Leorio nearly stumbles and falls on his face, smirk dropping from his mouth like a lead weight as he catches himself. Gon giggles again, harder this time, and Leorio blushes helplessly. Smooth, Paladiknight. You'll have Gon's heart in no time. 

The stomping’s much more audible than before as Gon and Leorio weave their way into it. Gon grips both of Leorio's hands as he jumps and twirls around. Leorio’s so enthralled in Gon that he almost forgets to dance himself. 

The previous song fades into something slower, more romantic, and Leorio jumps like he’s been shocked. He snaps his head back to look at the band; Biske’s got the microphone in her hand, but she’s turned away from it, clearly laughing to herself. Did she plan this? Was this all planned? No time to think about that, though – Gon's really getting into the dance now, sparkling dress swaying in time with the piano melody.

"Come on, Leorio, dance with me!" 

~♣♦♥♠~ 

Killua scuffs his feet across the checkered floor as he returns to the bar. Jeez, ditched for another man again – not that Killua was interested, of course. Ikalgo’s waiting back at the bar; the music and dancing doesn’t seem to interest him. 

"Welcome back,” he says as Killua heaves himself onto the stool next to him, voice sunny and encouraging. 

Killua half-smirks in the redhead’s direction, still a little put out. Damn, this sucks. Now it’s just him and Ikalgo, which, actually, might be a good thing. This kid – well, he can hardly call him a kid, but he’s a newbie and it’s the thought that counts – seems interesting enough. They might as well get to know each other while they can, right?

Ikalgo, concerned with the sour expression on Killua’s face, sneaks a glance at him. "Do you want to dance?" he asks timidly, studying his shoes. 

"Nah. 'M not much of a dancer, anyway." There’s another gaping silence as Killua thinks. What can they do? The evening rush lasts until about one, and it’s around ten now – they’ve got three hours. "We have some darts in the back – you know how to play, right?" At this hour, there shouldn't be anyone in the game room. 

Ikalgo looks up with the hint of a smile on his face. "Sure. My adoptive parents are almost always playing." 

Killua smiles wide and hops off the barstool, grabbing Ikalgo's hand and pulling him down as he goes. Ikalgo stumbles a bit, tottering to the side before following Killua towards the back to the door labeled "Darts + Video Poker”. 

The red velvet room’s a lot less smoky than the rest of the casino; it’s musty, but compared to the constant fog of cigars it’s almost like taking a breath of fresh air. Dart boards and video poker consoles line the back, facing a few scattered tables and couches. Killua heads to the board in the middle. "This is my lucky spot,” he explains to Ikalgo, grinning, as the two of them sit down.

"Normal rules, right?" Ikalgo asks, folding his legs underneath him. 

"Hm. Nah, I think I have a better idea." For some reason, lewd thoughts plagued Killua’s mind tonight. Teenage hormones at it again. "I was thinking something a little more exciting." 

A light blush rises in Ikalgo’s cheeks. “I – I don’t know what you mean.”

"Some guys taught me the rules to this some time ago." Killua pauses to look at Ikalgo, eyes slightly glazed over, hands spread for dramatic effect. "We can play strip darts."

Ikalgo nearly falls off the couch. "W-W-What?!" he screeches, voice cracking. Killua picks the darts up from off the table, laughing hard enough that he has to brace himself on the arm of the couch. Bright red, Ikalgo leans over to Killua, eyebrows furrowed. "Are you serious?!"

Killua puts a finger to Ikalgo's lips. 

"Be quiet – we can't let the staff know we're in here. God knows I'll get an earful from security."

Ikalgo looks frantic and disheveled, mouth gaping open and closed like a fish’s; it takes him a moment, but he composes himself, blush still high in his face. "A-alright." Gulp. "What are the rules?" 

Killua's smirk grows. "Okay – you have to strip me in order. Shoes, socks, shirt, pants, underwear, yeah? You do that by hitting numbers sixteen through twenty, each one representing each article of clothing respectively. You’ve gotta hit each number twice, but it doesn’t have to be in a row or anything, and we each get three darts per turn. Got it?"

"G-got it. But, ah, how do we win?" Ikalgo asks, hands trembling. 

Killua laughs and doesn't answer. "Alright, you go first." 

Ikalgo tosses each one with the precision of a master. 17, 20, 16. Killua gives him a sloppy smile as he writes down the numbers on the notepad next to him and goes to retrieve the darts.

“My turn,” Killua says teasingly. 16, 16, miss.

Ikalgo gulps, but at least it’s only his shoes. He pulls them off, placing them neatly against the couch.

18, 16, 17. Killua shakes his head as he removes his socks and shoes. Ikalgo’s ahead, and in a good position to win. No more fucking around.

19, 18, 17. Sweat beads on Ikalgo’s forehead. Killua’s setting up to take it from behind. 

Miss, 18, miss. Killua hums as he removes his shirt and vest. Ikalgo can't help but stare: Killua’s strangely toned for only being 13. His skin prickles hot under the pressure. 

17, 18, miss. Ikalgo looks like he’s about to explode; taking off his socks is fine, but his shirt takes courage. His entire body’s dusted with freckles. Killua breathes a low “Cute,” that Ikalgo pretends not to hear. 

19, 17, miss. It’s obvious that Killua’s a little shocked, but he’s still wearing that same confident smirk – or is he just aroused? When he slips off his black slacks, the outline of his erection is painfully obvious to Ikalgo, and the redhead stifles a squeak.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. We skipped a rule. If someone repeats a number, they have to kiss the other person." Killua's deep blue eyes lock with Ikalgo's pale ones, and he grins. "Is that alright?" 

Ikalgo blinks, his mind struggling to keep up with what’s happening. "Ah, um, I...Alright. Um. Yes." 

Their lips collide, the contact almost electric. Killua opens his mouth, making the kiss almost drunkenly sloppy. He feels like he’s about to pass out, but Ikalgo rests his left hand on the small of Killua's back and straddles his hips, pinning him to the velvet couch. 

The soft noise of the casino outside is the only other sound, a strange contrast to the impure noises of lips smacking, moans and cries. 

~♥♣♠♦~

The dance is over; the patrons filter off of the dance floor and crash like waves over the shores of the slot machines. Leorio rests his hands on his knees, panting slightly – matching Gon’s pace wasn’t easy, and he’d been exhausted within an hour. “Sorry I couldn’t keep up,” he mumbles, head down as he tries to catch his breath.

Gon grins. “It’s fine!” he chirps, bright as ever as he takes Leorio’s arm. “Let’s go outside.”

Leorio holds the door for Gon as they both step out onto the sidewalk and head over to lean on one of the red exterior walls of the casino. It’s 11:23 and the city around them is aglow; the air’s as fresh as it can be in the middle of a city like this, crisp and pure if you don't count the ever-present smells of gasoline and alcohol. 

Leorio takes out a lighter and a pack of cigarettes, flicking a cigarette out of the packaging and re-pocketing the rest. He cups a hand around the front as he lights it: warmth from something that isn’t the sticky body heat of three hundred strangers is a welcome feeling. Taking the cigarette out of his mouth, he exhales the smoke up towards the summer sky. 

"I had a really nice time," Gon starts, sounding pensive. "I’d really like to do it again sometime." Closing his eyes, the boy smiles, head nodding like he can still hear the music. 

Blushing, Leorio waves the cigarette around. "I-I'm no good at dancing, 'M sorry, you probably would have had a better time with Hisoka-" 

"But I like you too!" Gon interrupts. 

Leorio's face burns. Could this kid be any blunter? "W-well, then..."

Another heavy, wet blanket of silence falls over them. 

"Doesn’t matter that you can’t dance. I still had a lot of fun." 

"I-I did too," Leorio hastily replies, jamming the cigarette back in his mouth to avoid any more conversing. It feels like he’s teetering on the edge of blowing it. 

Gon finally turns to look at him, brown eyes as endearing as ever. "Leorio-"

On tiptoe, he reaches up with one hand and plucks the cigarette out of Leorio’s mouth, holding it away from the two of them; with the other, he grabs Leorio’s tie and pulls him down so that their lips softly press together. A gentle, yet somehow sinful, kiss. 

It feels like it lasts forever, or maybe Leorio just wishes it had, but it’s only a few seconds before Gon pulls away.

"Thank you," he says, eyes unreadable.

He hands back the cigarette and heads back into the casino, the lights on his dress slipping out of the yellow pools of the streetlights and disappearing into the smoky impurity of the casino.


	7. Playing the Rush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOOOO HI ITS ALMOST BEEN A MONTH BUT!! WE'RE BACK AND READY TO DO THINGS,  
> once again i've been getting so. so much positive feedback im going to cry, i love u all  
> things are starting to get on the decline. a little. you'll see,

What an uneventful night. At midnight, it’s almost the end of Gon's shift. Killua and Ikalgo both look disheveled as they shuffle towards the barstools, both with heavy blushes adorning their faces. Gon decides it’s best not to ask what happened. 

"Gooon!" Killua singsongs almost mockingly, patting him on the back as he hops up onto a stool. "How did your date go?" 

"Fine! Leorio already went back to his station."

"He can't dance at all, can he?" 

"Not really. I don't mind, though. He's really cute, and pretty!"

Killua shoots him a bewildered look. "Cute? Pretty? THAT geezer?" 

Gon pouts. "He's no geezer! I like him a lot! I love him!"

"Love?! Isn't that a bit of a strong word?" Killua sputters, and Gon squares his shoulders.

"No! I love lots of people!"

"Well, it's none of my business," Killua huffs, looking away. "Go steal all of their hearts for the hell of it. Or for the affection. Or admiration. You have the capacity." He turns back to Gon with half a smile.

Gon's eyes sparkle with both curiosity and confidence. He has the capacity for it? Killua and Hisoka's words bump against each other and echo in his head. Steal some hearts? Act on passion alone?

His own heart’s on fire – he’s ablaze with confidence in himself. There’s nothing wrong with making people fall, is there? Gon nods furiously and hops off the barstool, ready to dash to Leorio's office. Steal everybody’s hearts! Make everyone fall hopelessly in love!

A gunshot. Gon stops dead, wobbling in his heels. The sound alone hurts almost as much as a real bullet. 

Screams, the smell of blood, the sound of broken glass: they roll across his back and assault his senses as the machine-gun pops begin. Another raid? Only a month after the first one? Gon’s halfway down the hallway before he comes back to himself, ducking behind overturned blackjack tables as panicked patrons dart across his path. Bodies fall like hail as bullets fall like snow. 

Gon fumbles for his pistol, pulling it out of the holster on his hip and turning the safety off with a click. He’s ready to fight if he has to. 

"Hey! Gon!" A white blur crashes down next to him, scooting against him for protection. The pistol in Killua’s hands is still smoking – Gon doesn’t want to think about it.

"Is everyone okay?" Gon cries, worried out of his mind. “Is Kite-“

"Kite’s fine, everyone’s fine. Well – I just haven't seen Ikalgo. He doesn't have a pistol yet. I hope he's okay." 

Almost as if on cue, Ikalgo limps by, very obviously dragging something. Both boys whip around to look at him: he's holding a bloody body by the legs, expression uncomfortable as he lays it up against the wall. 

"Ikalgo!!" Killua half-screams. Ikalgo jumps.

"K-Killua! I, uh... Just give me a second." He murmurs the last part. It’s barely audible over the gunfire. Careful, he pulls a syringe out from inside his vest and uncaps it with a flick, then sticks the needle into a vial of blue liquid. Gon and Killua look on in horror as Ikalgo jams it into the body’s neck. He's obviously not dead yet. Just knocked out – at least, until Ikalgo shot the serum into his neck.

"Living Dead Dolls." Ikalgo whispers, looking solemn as the man’s eyes glaze over. He leans in close, handing the man a tommy gun as he leans in to mutter into his ear.

The man immediately rises and shuffles towards the entrance, where Chimera Ant forces are pouring in. He readies his gun and fires wildly into the crowd of them.

Gon and Killua watch in shock. Ikalgo’d been carrying suggestability serum all along? Neither of them know what to think, but Gon pulls up his pistol anyway, firing at a few of the men along the sides – the only thing on his mind is protecting everyone. Killua comes to his senses, too, and joins in the ongoing fire fight.

It’s strange, how much Gon hates the Chimera Ants for what they’re doing – it feels like there’s an oil well in his chest, tainting his bloodstream, making his body feel heavy and dark. "Die. Die," he mumbles, voice uncharacteristically dark. 

Looking to his side, Gon notices there’s a more pressing matter at hand. Kurapika’s being straddled by a man who’s trying to drive a large dagger into his neck. It seems Kurapika’d knocked the man’s gun away, but is just barely holding back the man from killing him.

Gon flies from behind the table. Killua yells something like "YOU IDIOT!" after him, but Gon has him tuned out. 

Kurapika snarls, grabbing the man's wrists, trying in vain to break them. His eyes look like brimstone as he tries to wriggle free, flaring in hopeless anger while the knife edges closer and closer.

The tip of the man’s knife touches Kurapika’s skin and presses, hard enough to draw blood. It’s over-

Bang. 

Before he knows what’s happening, Kurapika feels blood dripping onto his shirt. He looks up to see that the man above him is dead – his head is a ruined mess, and the assailant holding the pistol behind his head is splattered red from the impact.

"Gon!" Kurapika shouts, pushing the corpse off of his chest and sitting up. The young boy’s face is stone cold. The blood and bits of grey matter that litter his sparkly green outfit and face don’t even seem to faze him as he lets the pistol hang at his side, arm slumping down. Kurapika pulls himself up and smiles weakly. "Thank you. You saved my life."

The light returns to Gon's eyes, and he nods furiously. "Any time! It's no problem!" 

Gunfire started back up, but with a deeper sound every once in a while. Gon whirled around, and to his surprise, Ikalgo, with Killua by his side, is firing off…is that a sniper rifle? Where did he even get that? No matter – he’s picking off tons of guys like it’s nothing. He might be shy, but not about killing people. 

He seems engrossed in killing, as does the boy next to him. ‘Protect’ is the only word in their mind. But who are they protecting?  
Gon nods to Kurapika, giving him a reassuring smile, before sprinting towards the slots to make sure Kite’s alright. He really hopes so. Turning the corner of the forest of lights, he scans his surroundings, squinting in the neon glow – there’s someone silhouetted against the machines.

A Chimera Ant’s towering over Kite’s fallen body, a large tommy gun in hand. Gon's heart leaps to his throat. Blood roars in his ears. Fire burns in his eyes, his lungs, his heart. Without missing a beat, he grabs one of the metal barstools in front of the slots and charges towards the figure. 

"KITE!" Gon screams, sounding helpless, moving as fast as he could. The figure looks over at him, starting to raise their gun, but it was too late. Gon was already right next to them.

He lands a decisive blow to their abdomen, the sickening crunch of ribs breaking erupting through his eardrums. The person coughs up a heavy splatter of blood as they stumble from the impact and away from Kite. They glare, eyes narrowing before they turn to try and run away. 

Key word: Try.

Gon keeps coming. He lands an overhead blow, sending the figure straight to the ground. The impact was shortly met with another strike to the head; the victim's vision started to blur, and lacerations from the barstool start to appear on their head, blood pouring out. 

Tears pour out of the young boy’s eyes, not from regret or disgust with himself, but anger. Bang. Bang. Bang. The sound of metal hitting a person’s skull reverberates through the casino, the sound slowly turning into more of a squish. Gon raises the barstool above his head over and over. At least 50 times. Die. Die. Die. His heart burns with grief. His eyes sting with tears.

"Gon,” a voice calls out – Kite's voice. Gon immediately drops the barstool on the pulp of a corpse. He whips around, and lo and   
behold, Kite’s fine. There’s a bloody wound on his shoulder, but it’s near nothing vital. He slumps against the slot machines, lights surrounding his thin figure.

Tears once again spring to Gon’s eyes as he leaps down to Kite, embracing him as hard as he can without hurting him. The older man puts a hand on Gon's back to steady him. The atmosphere feels warm, despite the smell of sulfur, blood and death. 

"I thought you were dead,” a breathless Gon sobs into Kite's chest. Kite's hand rubs in comforting circles on his back. 

"It's okay now." Kite replies. 

Gon feels exhaustion deep down to his bones, wracking his entire being. Why does he care so much about Kite? Those nights he spent in his office talking to him? When he would lift him up on top of the slots, and let him look out on over the sea of lights? He doesn't know. But the way his body fits into Kite's makes him feel safe.

"I love you," Gon sobs dryly, no more tears coming out. He feels Kite's body tense under his at this statement, but Kite slowly relaxes, taking a deep breath.

"I love you too." 

Gon pulls away from the hug, sitting in between Kite's legs. Act on passion alone. 

He presses his lips to Kite's, not too soft, but not too hard, either. He slings his arms around the older man, tears forming at the corners of his eyes again. All the gunfire seemed to die down, as the world melted away around the two. All that mattered was their feelings. 

The kiss lasted a while, at least thirty seconds. Gon didn't want it to end, and neither did Kite.

Gon hesitantly pulls away, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I'm so glad..."

He starts to slip down. His consciousness is fading – he’s worked himself too much.

"That I could save you."

Thunk.


	8. Break the Bank

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY YO EVERYONE i almost wrote myself into a wall here So,  
> here we are. the bad smut train is rolling and its Dangerous  
> hopefully i can pump out the next chapter soon. maybe

Gon's eyes flutter open as he reaches a sore arm to touch his head. A warm, wet washcloth was placed there. Where is he? The luxurious room doesn’t look, or smell, like his own; everything’s tinted red, accompanied by the smell of expensive perfume and bitter spirits. He manages to pull himself into a sitting position. The crystal chandelier that hangs on the high ceiling sparkles in the moonlight pouring in from the nearby window, the antique furniture silhouetted against it giving the room a regal air. This has to be at least a five star hotel.

Was this the hotel above the casino? Gon hadn’t ever had a reason to go up here before. The cool night air seems to pool on his tan skin, making him colder than he was. His entire being was sore...The raid on the casino had been brutal. If Gon had to guess he’d say at least forty people died, what with all the bodies littering the glittering casino floor, blood barely staining the crimson carpets… 

Wait. What else happened? He remembers something. The figure of someone slumped against a slot machine...

"Kite!" Gon cries out to no one in particular. But yet, someone replies. 

"He's just fine. ♣"

Gon's head snaps to the pitch black corner of the room. On cue, Hisoka rises from the chair set there. He strides over to Gon's bedside and crouches down.

"How are you feeling? ❤"

The young boy hums in thought, windmilling his arms around. 

"I'm fine! Just a little sore..." He looked forlornly at his arms. Why did they hurt so much? Oh yeah. That Chimera ant. He’d beaten their head to a pulp. 

"It was quite a brutal battle,” says Hisoka, almost cheerfully. “Many lives were taken. I'm glad yours was not among them. ♣"

Cracking his neck, Gon swings his legs off the side of the bed and kicks his bare feet – his heels are arranged neatly next to the door, looking as clean as they ever have. Gon looks down at his clothes. The sparkles are dimmed somewhat by the countless splatters of dried blood and bits of grey matter. “Hmm,” he sighs, not seeming upset so much as inconvenienced – it’s nothing a little laundry won’t fix.

"You sure made a mess of that dress I gave you. ♦"

Gon's face flushes as he remembers who this dress belongs to. Maybe laundry won’t fix this. "Oh! I completely forgot- I'm so sorry!" Gon bows his head, feeling deep embarrassment.

Hisoka simply chuckles in response. "Don't worry about it. But, you should get out of that filthy thing, I have a better outfit prepared. ♠"

The young boy perks up, brown eyes locking with gold ones as he lifts his head. Hisoka hands him a red cocktail dress, adorned with just as many jewels as the last one. It shimmers in the moonlight, and the sharp shadows of the section of the room where Hisoka stays make the folds of the dress look dangerous. The faint glow of the gems entices him, though, and he moves towards Hisoka like he’s being pulled.

Hisoka hands him the dress; the material feels smooth and light as it slips against his hands. This has to cost even more than the green dress.

"Are you going to change? ♣"

Gon's face lights up again, right after it was starting to calm down.

"Uh! I-"

He looks at his feet. "Alright!"

Hisoka steps back and turns around. "It's fine, I won't look. ♥" The smile he’s wearing is almost audible.

"I don't mind if you look!"

The other man's lips part in surprise as he turns back to Gon, his slightly stunned gaze meeting Gon's seemingly determined one.

The curtains shift in the wind as Gon slips off the blood-spattered dress. The green glitter nightmare crumples to the floor with a light 'thump' – all that’s left are his bloomers. He feels Hisoka's eyes rake over his body like a steady stream of burning hot air, making his skin tingle.

"Shouldn't you take a shower first? ♣"

The words make Gon jump, but he realizes how right Hisoka is. He’s still covered in gore – dry gore, maybe, but gore nonetheless. A shower would be nice. "Alright!" Gon vigorously nods his head before taking off to the bathroom. 

Hisoka chuckles to himself as the door closes. “Isn't he something? ♦” He rises from the bed and goes to pour himself a glass of wine, looking out over the silent city as he does so.

Gon’s nothing but a pawn in this game, a simple one at that. Yet, what is it that makes him important? Hisoka contemplates this, swirling the wine around in the glass and watching as the ruby-red liquid catches the faint light. He brings the glass to his lips with a smirk. Gon’s a pawn, but even pawns can fight. His role could prove vital in this performance. 

Hisoka toasts the skyline and lets the glass slip from his hand. 

'Dancing like mad to prove his worth…and falling to the ground like a broken doll. ♠' 

~♠♥♦♣~

Gon flings open the door to an awfully regal bathroom. Everything seemed to shimmer under the crystal light fixture hanging on the ceiling; though it was an artificial, fake sort of magic, Gon still embraces it. 

He pulls the gold and white shower curtain aside. The pure white interior’s almost blinding, reflecting the light flawlessly. Gon reaches in and turns the dial, switching on the water and flinching as it pounds against his hand. If rich people can afford water pressure like this, he’d better start working. Is this really the kind of life the rich lead? Beautiful hotel rooms, gold, diamonds, and wine? Gon’s more than a little jealous, but it’s nice to experience, too. 

He pulls off his bloomers, letting them fall to the ground. Using the walls as support, he hauls himself over the side of the tub, his hair flattened into submission not even seconds after the water hits it. He grabs for the very expensive looking shampoo, feeling unworthy. Hisoka probably won’t mind, though; he likes Gon, and he did leave the shampoo out, so it’s probably fine. 

Gon gently works the mixture, that vaguely smells like coconuts, into his scalp, fingers making small circles in his hair, slowly working it into a lather. This gives him some time to think, finally. He really does love all of the men he’s involved with, he thinks, pouting into thin air. He’s got so much love to go around, and he wants to express it. 

A noise startles him out of his thoughts. "Do you mind if I come in, Gon? ♥" Hisoka calls, already halfway through the door when Gon sticks his head out to see what’s going on. Hisoka wiggles his fingers in greeting, and Gon goes back under the water.

“That’s fine!” he chirps, not seeing anything wrong with this, though he feels himself go red hot when he hears a belt being undone and clanging to the floor. Hisoka’s definitely undressing, judging by the sounds of clothes rustling. 

The whole world seems to freeze in time when the curtain moves and Hisoka's pale but surprisingly muscular figure steps in the shower. Gon quickly faces straight ahead, feeling flustered. 

He feels a pair of hands brace his hips, and unconsciously leans back into Hisoka. Though he wanted to express his love, he was a bit lost on this method. He’d already read Hisoka’s intentions, and doesn't mind one bit – chalk this one up to a learning experience.

"Gon. ♦" Hisoka's voice, uncharacteristically soft, shoots up Gon's spine. "Would you like a lesson in expressing your love? ♣" 

Gon’s face is practically ablaze, but he nods. "O-Of course." Heat pools in his stomach, creating some hot-ass butterflies. The nervous excitement settling heavy on his chest threatens to crush him. 

"Then turn around. ♠" 

Slowly, surely, Gon shifts to turn around, brown eyes meeting with Hisoka's. The older man’s expression flickers like Gon’s a particularly interesting book. "Are you sure? ♦" he asks, face inquisitive. 

"I'm sure-" Gon breathes, and quickly sucks in a breath as Hisoka closes the gap between them. Hisoka’s lips fit comfortably into Gon’s. They've kissed before, but this time is different. Some animalistic driving force behind it makes it seem offbeat. The small boy kisses back with all of his might, intertwining his hands with Hisoka's. He feels so comfortable, suddenly. 

Gon has the confidence to throw his arms around Hisoka; Hisoka’s already bent a great deal just to kiss him, passionately at that. The younger boy moans against his will. In response, Hisoka grips him tighter, and Gon feels something pressing against his stomach. The heat in his stomach spreads to his lower body, making him feel light headed. He only knew the very basics of this stuff: it’s kind of inevitable when you work in a casino, considering the sheer numbers of drunk people they host in one night.

His breath hitches as Hisoka pulls away. The trail of saliva connecting the two is washed away by the onslaught of warm water. 

"Are you ready now? ♥" Hisoka lowly whispers to Gon, who’s feeling a little lightheaded. Gon swallows his anxiety and nods. Hisoka simply smiles and crouches down; he practically has to lift Gon up to get him to an appropriate height, his hand supporting the boy's lower back. 

Hisoka wastes no time taking the small boy’s erection into his mouth. Gon cries out, his voice strained. His hands fly to Hisoka's head and tangle in his hair. Hisoka didn't mind. Not at all. He swirls his tongue around the boy’s length, earning an involuntary thrust of Gon's hips into his mouth. Gon’s body is limp: he’s losing his mind over how amazing this all feels. His mind is swimming with all kinds of thoughts that probably don't make any sense.

"Hi-Hisoka..." Gon half-moans. The older man’s obviously skilled at this, and seems to want to drag this out as long as possible, slowly bobbing up and down, making the boy squeak and groan out his name. 

The older man seems very pleased with himself, gold eyes looking up to meet brown ones. The repetitive motion makes Gon's head spin. Another way to express his love, huh? He definitely loves receiving it, and giving it seems nice as well... 

His mind screeches to a halt as his orgasm approaches, but suddenly speeds up again like a fast forward button. "I-I'm...!" is all Gon can manage before he goes limp with his orgasm, which is pretty violent in and of itself. He shudders as Hisoka stops him from smacking his head against the stone shower walls. 

"Hm~ I suppose you learned a lot. ♦" Hisoka waits for Gon to stop shaking before picking him up easily and shutting off the water. The entire bathroom is blanketed with steam, the mirror completely fogged over; one of the lights above the sink was out, too, which was strange considering that it was on when Hisoka came in. 

"Thank you..." Gon breathes, still a little delusional. "Oh – y-you can put me down now." 

Hisoka grins and sets him down gently, making sure the young boy can stand. 

"I have a fresh pair of bloomers for you as well. I hope I got the right size," Hisoka chuckles as Gon scurries out of the bathroom. Hisoka grabs two towels from the rack, wraps himself in one, and tosses the other to Gon, who seems further embarrassed that he forgot one. He quickly rubs the pure white towel over his skin, and ruffles his hair with it as well, adequately drying himself. He tosses the towel to the bed, and pulls on the pair of bloomers next to him, along with the glittering red dress. 

It fit so perfectly. Gon almost wants to ask Hisoka how he got his exact size, but he refrained from doing so. In that same amount of time, Hisoka had pulled on a sleek ruby red button down and black dress pants. His hair’s still down from the shower, too, which Gon fully appreciates. 

Hisoka approaches the boy, wearing his usual grin.

"Since you've had quite the night, you don't have to wait tables for the rest of your shift. And I'm still paying you. ♥" 

Gon perks up to protest. "B-But! You don't have to pay me, if I'm not doing anything-"

"But I want to. ♣" 

Gon's heart leaps to his throat, but he doesn’t say anything. 

"Go enjoy yourself. ♦" Hisoka says, turning to the window.

The small boy nods and makes for the door. He takes a few steps, slips on the red heels in the doorway, and walks out, the heavy door slamming behind him. The hallways are pitch-black, for some reason, so he slips into the brightness of the elevator.


	9. White-on-White

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY YO sorry i haven't been able to pump out chapters this summer but both salem and i have been busy,  
> but. i hope u all enjoy AND i drew a new cover for jackpot on fanfic but since ao3 doesn't have cover images. here  
> http://ikalgo.tumblr.com/post/92702900777/my-hand-hurts-but-i-finally-finished-ver-2-of
> 
> ENJOY EVERYONE!!

The doors of the regal elevator fly open with a ‘whoosh’, flooding the small space with the smells and sounds of the casino’s main floor. Steeling himself to leave, Gon takes a deep breath, but ends up coughing loudly as his lungs reject the smoky air; steadying himself, he leans against the back wall and takes another breath. This time he’s met with no trouble, no resistance whatsoever – since a gas mask is out of the question at this point, getting used to it’s the only way to go.

Gon strides out into the open casino. He’s all the way in the back – it’s darker here than he remembers, and smokier, too. The stench of cigars is thick enough to choke someone. It probably has something to do with all the patrons waiting for the elevators; Gon can feel their eyes on him as he passes by, and holds himself high in spite of their obvious judgment, feeling very adult.

The bright lights of the slot machines pass over his dark skin as he presses towards the heart of the casino; he’s almost glowing, bathed in neon like he is now. Patrons line the path ahead of him, similarly illuminated as they try their luck against the unfeeling machines. It seems like a futile game, but it isn’t Gon’s business right now – he strides down the aisle, imagining himself as of the important guests in beautiful dresses, surrounded by men, laughing with a cigarette holder between their fingers.

He’s different from them in more ways than one, but he’s certainly an important guest. He wears a confident expression, just like them.

“Gon!" a distinct voice calls over the rattle of slots; Gon jumps just a little, face splitting into a blinding beam. He’d know that voice anywhere.

“Kite!" Gon yells, rushing forward to embrace him. Kite decides to take it a step further, and whirls Gon around as he picks him up, spinning in a complete circle, much to the dismay of the patrons trying to avoid the swinging young boy.

Kite sets him down, making sure he’s stable in his heels. Gon wobbles a bit, but regains his balance with a little laugh. He's a ray of pure sunshine in this smoky, sinful casino, Kite thinks, adorning a warm smile.

"Goooon! Get over here, idiot!" Gon jumps again – Killua’s spotted him, and he’s half-standing on his barstool to get Gon’s attention, looking peeved.

"Oops! I better go- Sorry, Kite!" Gon apologizes as he turns towards the bar. Kite's lips part with surprise, but he smiles sympathetically and nods.

"Go on, I know how violent he can get when he's angry."

Gon giggles at the comment, picking up speed until he's out of hearing range.

A serious expression overtakes Kite's face. "But..." he murmurs to himself, starting to turn away: there are always more slots to fix, more machines to test. "He seems to be fading, lately." Eyes downcast, he sighs. "I guess any amount of time in here can corrupt someone. Too bad that goes for him, too."

\--

"Oi, what took you so long?" Killua snaps as Gon approaches. Ikalgo nudges him, and he huffs, not ready to make nice just yet.

Gon rubs the back of his head apologetically. "Hi, Ikalgo. I’m sorry I’m so late, Killua! I got a little sidetracked."

A simple reply. It’s not like he wanted anything more. With the way Hisoka had been swaggering around the bar a few minutes before, Killua could only imagine what went on an hour or two ago. It wasn't worth it to think about. That new dress he adorned only drove his suspicions home.

Might as well share the current situation, though, even if Gon did ditch him to get down and dirty – God, even thinking that was a mistake. "The Troupe is here. They've been here, assessing the damage." Killua tilts his head to the left just a hair, the movement barely perceptible; there’s a group of people with thick outlines and dangerous looking suits standing there, surrounding someone Gon can clearly recognize as Chrollo. “Your boyfriend’s here too.”

Gon slips off his barstool and starts heading towards the group; Ikalgo reaches for his sleeve, but he slips away, much to Killua’s dismay. Killua almost wants to run after him: tangling with the mafia is a terrible idea in and of itself, but on a night like this it’s almost the worst thing that could happen to Gon. But with his natural charisma, he should be fine. Hopefully, anyway.

Gon slowly but surely sinks into the dark hallway of the casino to meet them.

\--

The first one to notice him was a man roughly the size of a tank, who smiled a gigantic grin at him.

"Danchou! Is this the boy you were talking 'bout?" he shouts. Something tells Gon that’s probably his 'inside voice'.

Chrollo works his way to the front of the group to meet him. His hair’s down, and there’s a bandage tied over the tattoo that usually adorns his forehead. Is it a disguise? That tattoo must be a dead giveaway. His suit’s unbuttoned, most of his dress shirt revealed; did something happen? He looks almost disheveled, but he’s still smiling as he bends to greet Gon.

"How nice it is to see you breathing." A weird way to greet someone, but Chrollo wasn't exactly normal, anyway.

"You too!" Gon chirps. He's not sure why he returned it, honestly.

As he steps forward, Chrollo puts an arm around him. "Troupe, this is Gon. A waiter here. Paku, Shal, you've met him before. He's exceptionally brave, and can kill without flinching. He's truly an incredible boy."

An impressed whistle erupts from one of the troupe members, and the rest offer wary smiles. If Chrollo likes him, he must be special.

A man with long, black hair flowing over his shoulders comes forward, squinting at Gon almost distastefully. "Oh? It’s not often we see kids your age with such resolve to kill. What’s your secret?"

Apprehensive, Gon turns his gaze to meet Chrollo's, whose deep grey eyes offer wordless encouragement.

"Well- with the ants it’s different,” he starts. His voice starts to grow cold. "Once you open fire on a group of innocent people, you're not human anymore." The boy's expression slumps into a scowl, remembering how ready one of them was to put a 12 year old down without flinching. He’d like to relive that. Revenge would be a nice way to cap that particular story off.

Once again, some murmuring came from within the crowd. The same burly man spoke up. "Danchou, I like this kid! He should join!"

Chrollo's calm expression wavers just a little. "Uvogin, we shouldn't be so hasty now. Hisoka isn't willing to give him up."  
The blond with his arms around Uvogin's arm, Shalnark, nods. "It’s no use, Uvo. Once Hisoka likes someone, he's not going to hand them over very easily."

Uvogin scoffs. "Well, you're friends with Hisoka! How about we work out- I dunno, a contest! Blackjack, or something."

Chrollo blinks as if he's taking a second to soak in the suggestion, analyzing it before looking down at Gon.

"Gon? What do you think?" he asks in that strangely warm tone.

What does he think? He's not entirely sure himself. Rolling the idea of him being even more intertwined with the mafia in his head, he nods. "I'm fine with that. I guess it’s up for luck to decide!"

"Mm. It's decided then." Chrollo smiles and turns away, but to Gon’s surprise he stops and nods. Hisoka’s standing only a few feet away, within eavesdropping distance.

Hisoka grins. "It’s alright, I heard it all. A blackjack game, for Gon's fate? Sounds fun. ♠"

Chrollo's grey eyes flicker. "Of course. I thought it would be. You'll play against me, alright?" He doesn't wait for a reply, as he leads the Troupe plus Gon and Hisoka to an empty table, where a small girl in a bunny outfit is waiting. Her strawberry red hair gleams in the fluorescent lights. She quickly puts her phone down as they approach.

"Piyon, we're going to play a game of Blackjack. That's all, don't be so nervous. ♦" Hisoka smiles at the girl, who nods vigorously. She’s obviously scared of him, and for good reason. But not one that Gon can really see.

Hisoka and Chrollo take seats on the opposite sides of the small table, idea for a one-on-one game. Hisoka's golden eyes lock with Chrollo’s deep grey ones. The stakes are high – higher than billions and billions of dollars.

Swiftly, Piyon shuffles the deck. Her slim fingers make the cards flow like a running river. She gathers the cards back up, and deals each man two cards.

Each of them take a look at their card without smiling, or even flinching – they’re wearing matching poker faces. It’s almost intimidating how well both of them can hide their emotions.

Breaking the concrete-thick silence, Chrollo utters to Piyon, "Hit me." With another swift movement, she passes him a card. He picks it up, and once again, no reaction. His lips stay in a perfect straight line, his eyes unreadable.

"I'll stand. ♣"

"As will I."

The tension’s sky-high. Sweat formed at a few of the members’ brows; the air felt too thick to breathe. Gon's hand twitches. He’s anxious, rocks forming in the pit of his stomach – this is going to determine his fate. The seconds tick by impossibly slow as the men flip over their cards.

Gon’s heart drops.

Hisoka: A king of hearts, and an ace of spades.

Chrollo: A three of clubs, an eight of spades, and a four of diamonds.

Twenty-one to fifteen.

Hisoka won by a landslide.

Gon lets out a weary sigh, and a few of the troupe members scoff. Someone murmurs "Ya sure she isn't card counting in Hisoka's favor?", but it’s quickly dismissed: Hisoka isn't one to cheat in a contest. Chrollo simply claps with a small smile.

"That certainly was interesting. Thank you for your time, Hisoka."

The other man closes his eyes and nods, his signature smirk coming over him. "Of course, any time, Chrollo."

Though both sides were friendly, the tension still hung in the air.

Finally, Uvogin's laughter erupts like a volcano, effectively shattering the awkward tension in the air. "Oi, Danchou, good game!" he bellows, still shaking with laughter. Gon can't help but smile, and neither can anyone else. Spirits rise again as they shuffle away from the table.

As they leave, Piyon noticeably sighs as she takes a cigarette from her purse, lighting it with shaking hands. That must have spooked her something fierce.

Gon easily fits into the crowd of the Troupe, and all of them make room for him. They honestly do seem to like him already – though one or two gave him strange looks, but that might just be their face. Who knows? He pays them no mind as they stride to the back of the casino.

"Danchou." Pakunoda speaks up, voice almost a murmur against the din of the crowd. "Shouldn't we finish the job? It would be in our best interest to." She says it like it’s a suggestion, but Chrollo knows it’s a command. He doesn't mind. He simply nods in response.

"Of course. We should get moving. We'll be around the casino for a while. Uvo- If you'd like to spend some time with Gon-"

"Yeah! I'd love ta', thanks Danchou!" Uvogin interrupts with his explosive voice. He stomps over to Gon, unintentionally. He's easily seven feet tall, possibly even taller. He dwarfs five foot tall Gon, but Gon’s used to it, at this point.

Uvogin doesn't hesitate in picking Gon up and putting him on his shoulders. His legs fit comfortably around Uvogin's tree trunk neck. Shalnark, from the crowd, gives a sunny smile. That boy's probably gotten tons of piggybacks from him. It certainly feels nice, being this tall. He tangles his fingers in Uvogin’s mane of messy hair and holds tight.

Hisoka grins up at Gon and that phrase rings through the young boy’s head again: "Make some friends, act on passion alone."  
Gon does just that.

Killua watches with Ikalgo in tow as Gon gets carted around the casino on Uvogin's back. The bright, sunny smile that’s plastered on his face is beautiful, but the darkness surrounding him is noticeable: ready to pounce, and to consume.


	10. Aces High

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOOO HEY EVERYONE i've been dicking around in the kid icarus and tboi fandoms but jackpot is Here and queer  
> im still leogon Trash i apologize, but its fine, im like one of the 4 people that ship it  
> i swear the next chapter will be out soon, its fine its fine  
> ALSO my friend haruko drew some great jackpot art and its on her redbubble!! its only avalible as an iphone case rn but hopefully the print option should pop up soon!! http://www.redbubble.com/people/nomicon/works/13297479-jackpot-gon go buy it now if u want some semi-official jackpot merch//

The Troupe's departure’s a little abrupt, but Uvogin makes sure to ruffle Gon's hair hard enough to throw him off-balance before slipping into the shadows with his colleagues. Gon beams to himself as he watches Uvogin leave – maybe the mafia’s dangerous, but he doesn't care. They like him, and that’s all that matters.

He feels a cold hand on his shoulder, and whirls around to see Hisoka, looking regal as ever in his ruby button down. Hisoka’s hair is still down from the shower earlier, and a chill rockets up Gon's spine, making him blush.

"Gon, would you come into my office? I have something important to discuss with you. ♣" Hisoka’s smirk is close to dangerous.  
The boy looks away for a split second before nodding. Hisoka smiles at the young boy, motioning for him to follow as they slip into the darkness of the hallway.

Gon follows closely behind, mind and heart racing. He replays the events of earlier over and over again in his mind. Did he do something wrong? No, Hisoka can't be mad at him...

Hisoka effortlessly opens the huge wooden door. There’s already someone in the room, leaning against the wall like a shadow. "Leorio?" Gon asks, as the man straightens his posture from his usual slouch and offers a Gon a sloppy smile.

The door slams behind the three of them with a resounding bang.

The both of them step in front of Hisoka's desk. Hisoka takes a seat, looking more imposing than usual, somehow.

"What do you need us for?" Gon asks with a squeak.

“I have a mission for the both of you. ♠"

"A-A mission?" Leorio chokes, incredulous at the proposition.

"What kind of mission?" Gon continues to question.

"Nothing much. How does a little espionage sound? ❤"

"No way..." Leorio seems to have trouble processing all of this.

A devilish smile plays on Hisoka's lips. "To make this short: there is going to be a party a couple blocks over hosted by the Ants in one of their 'nests'. We've heard from many sources that documents concerning their leaders’ whereabouts are there. We need you to infiltrate the party, find the document, and send it through the wireless scanner we give you. Alright? ♦"

Leorio and Gon look from Hisoka, to each other. It’s clear from Hisoka’s expression that they’ve got no other choice. Maybe tangling with the mafia was a bad idea after all...

"...Alright." Leorio reluctantly responds, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Good. ❤"

Gon blinks, processing the information. He nods, brown eyes still troubled. Just don't get caught? Easier said than done, he supposes. Hisoka smiles wide, and stands up to lead the pair of them out, back to the reception, where the dressing room was.

\--

How many dresses does Gon have at this point? He’s not sure, but Hisoka and Leorio both insist blue’s a good color on him. The dress cames down just above his knees, longer than most of the dresses he owns now, but not by that much. He slips the blue and black colored dress on, admiring the way it fits. Does Hisoka keep a collection of clothes his size? It’s possible. But it’s not like Gon cares: he only has eyes for his new dress, not even looking down as he steps into the black sequined high-heels Hisoka provided. He twirls around in a circle, checking out how he looks. Not so different from how he usually dresses. How is this a disguise?

As Gon steps out of the changing room, Cluck’s there waiting for him. She flashes him a smile before straightening her posture. "Hisoka told me to take care of your hair and makeup, if only a little bit,” she explains. "A thick ponytail should be enough."

She waltzes over behind Gon with a silvery hair tie in her hand. Gon notices something sparkling blue hanging off of it: a sapphire, by the looks of things. How much was Hisoka spending on him? The older woman takes hold of Gon's unruly thick hair and pulls it back, scraping it into a short, thick ponytail.

"Woah! I've never been able to get my hair to cooperate like that..." Gon exclaims. Cluck admires her handiwork.

"It’s not so hard. Let me do your makeup.”

She pulls out a stick of dark blue lipstick. Gon blinks owlishly at it. For as long as he's been wearing expensive, beautiful dresses, he's never once tried makeup. "Open your mouth a little," Cluck says simply, applying the lipstick; it looks like a deep blue sky on his lips.

"Now, your mascara. Just open your eyes really wide, and don't blink too much."

Gon takes a deep breath, and keeps his eyes open as best he can while the bird-like woman carefully brushes his eyelashes with the mixture of inky black tar. At least, that’s what it looks like to Gon. After doing both eyes with the precision of a surgeon, Cluck turns his face in her hands, thoughtful.

"I think you look pretty damn good. This is all we have time to do though, the party's in an hour. Oh- and Hisoka said I had to give you this." She pulls out a pair of glasses from a clutch handbag, which seemed to have things in it, then hands both of them to Gon.

The glasses are a beautiful light blue, but "Wait, but I don't wear glasses!" Gon exclaims, and Cluck laughs.

"No worries, it’s just glass. They're not real lenses." She continues. "In your handbag, there’s a mini-wireless scanner. Run the documents through that and it will be on there. No mess worrying if the guards notice that papers are gone."

Gon nods, taking the clutch from her.

"And, there’s a pair of gloves for obvious reasons. Don't get your mitts all over the documents, or it’s over."

The small boy gulps.

"One last thing – your invite is in that bag too. Your name for the night is Sylvia Trench. Good luck kid."

On cue, Hisoka opens the door that was just recently closed. He strolls in, eyes raking up and down Gon's slender figure. "I knew those glasses would look good on you. ♥" Hisoka chuckles. Gon's face flushes as the older man opens the door all the way allowing Gon to leave the changing room. Unsurprisingly, Leorio’s against the wall in the hallway outside, a cigarette in hand. His jaw drops slightly agape.

"I feel like this is my goddamn wedding day..." he murmurs to himself. Gon looks amazing in the disguise. He quickly put out the cigarette on the concrete wall, and shoves the butt into his pocket. He exhales a deep breath. He was just wearing a deep blue suit and indigo tie. Nothing compared to how nice Gon looked.

"So, Mr. and Mrs. Trench, you should get going. ♠" Hisoka jokes to them as they slowly approach each other. Both of them were nervous. It was obvious. But Gon decides to lock his arm with Leorio's. It’s a bit weird with such a height difference, but they make it work.

Gon guides Leorio down the hall, slowing his breathing. He was nervous. But, strangely enough, excited as well. It was a strange mix of emotions. The only sounds were Gon's heels clacking against the floor. The door out to the casino’s propped open with a wedge; the entrance is close, and they can feel the muggy late July air beat against them as Leorio pushes open the glass door.

The sight that’s before them makes them both stall.

"A limo?" Gon breathes, surprised at the very expensive looking car in front of them.

"Well, I guess if we have to act like rich people, we gotta have a car like 'em too," Leorio replies, but it’s not with his usual spunk. He’s nervous too.

"I guess we should get going," Gon simply says, and drags Leorio forward, who’s obviously reluctant. His eyes are clouded with concern.

Gon opens the door to the long black limo; the car shines, reflecting the moonlight off of itself. Hesitantly, he slides inside the elegant limousine. Leorio follows closely behind, slamming the door. 

\--

Both parties are anxious. The sound of voices shouting, loud music, and car horns faintly reverberate throughout the limousine, but the red velvet seats seem to muffle any sounds they made.

"...Man, I just wanted to be a doctor. Go to medical school. I didn't think I'd have to do something like this." Leorio's voice is muffled by Gon's own thoughts. He turns around in his seat and blinks at Leorio, who has his back turned to him.

"Really? That’s cool!" Gon chirps. Might as well try and lift the mood a little.

Leorio snorts. "It's nothing, really. I just want to be a pediatrician. Help sick kids, ya know?"

The small boy next to him looks puzzled. "Nothing? That’s really great!"

Leorio finally turns around to meet the brown eyes locked on his form. His tense expression changes to a slightly more relaxed one. That’s an accomplishment in itself.

"I mean- That sounds really nice! I never got to go to school." Gon smiles to himself. Mito was his teacher. She taught him practically everything he knew.

"Really? I just barely passed high school. So, no college wants to touch me. I'm lucky I got into Valkerie Med. They’re pretty affordable, but I still had to get this job..." Leorio pauses and pulls out a cigarette, opening the window as he lights it. The muggy late July air seems to choke both of them. He takes a long drag on it, and exhales slowly. " I just finished my second year. The expenses are climbing each month..."

Gon shifts around in his seat, still getting used to having the glasses on his face, clutching his handbag.

"So, I'm relying on this from summer job. I...at least hope it's only a summer job." Another puff of smoke. "I don't think I could survive here more than one summer. But it’s starting to look like I'll be here for a while." Leorio shakes his head incredulously. "I mean. I can't believe it. I'm going on an actual mission. This feels like a goddamn spy movie."

"Guess it's not so bad,” he continues. "I don't mind having you with me during this. If anything, it's putting me at ease."

Gon blinks a few times. "Me too."

A long pause. The silence rolls in like a heavy fog of fear and uncertainty.

"We might die, you know,” Leorio says, voice cold with fear.

"I know."

The car flies over a speed bump, making both of them jump.

"Hell. I guess it's now or never." Leorio puts the cigarette out on the cold metal of the inside of the car door. He unbuckles his seatbelt, as Gon watches his every move. The older man turns completely to face him.

"This might sound kinda weird- well. It sounds weird in my head." Leorio murmurs, pointedly avoiding eye contact. He’s harbored a ridiculously embarrassing crush on Gon for too long now. It was so much worse than the hormonal lust he felt towards some of his female friends. He didn't feel this weird sensation of wanting to hold their hand and tell them sickeningly sweet things as he gently kissed them on the forehead.

"I just..." Leorio sighs, rubbing the back of his head. "I dunno. I think you're really cute and cool and my heart feels weird when I look at you. Would you say that's love or...?"He half mumbles the second part. Gon blinks a few times, processing the information, before responding.

"Well, if it is love..." Gon beams. "I love you too!" Gon felt genuine deep affection for Leorio, after spending many nights in the security office, just talking about nothing and sitting on his lap. That was nice. Now every time he smells coffee and cigarette smoke he feels so warm inside.

Leorio seems to act like he was rejected, before looking completely spooked silly. "W-What?!" A blush spreads over his face like wildfire, making him sweat profusely. "You...You do? Are you sure?" Panicking, he asks Gon a total of a million questions as he pushes himself back against the car door.

"Yep! I'm sure." Gon's answer is simple and pure. He moved to take off his seatbelt too, clicking the button next to him. Leorio was burning up, as Gon scoots over towards him, well, more like half scooted half crawled.

Gon was now on his knees in front of Leorio; the car’s stuck in a traffic jam. Hopefully the pair won't be tossed to the ground by the sudden movement of the limo.

"...Do you wanna kiss again?" Gon asks nonchalantly, large brown eyes looking into Leorio's, pulling him in like an endless void of endearment.

Leorio feels his mouth run dry almost instantly, moving to take off his pair of tiny bullshit shades and pocketing them.

"Sure."

The older man parts his legs so Gon can crawl between them, one slipping off the seat: they’re comically long compared to Gon's small body. Hesitantly, Gon runs his hands up Leorio's broad chest, working them up to his face. He gently cups and caresses it before leaning in for a long, gentle kiss. Just like their last one, with the bite of smoke on the end of it. So he kisses again. And again. Until it dissolves into full blown passionate makeouts. Gon’s pulling at Leorio's short hair as Leorio's hands find a resting place at the small of Gon’s back. Cluck had put sealer on Gon’s lipstick, but some smudges of dark blue were still visible on Leorio’s lips.

"F-Fuck, I..." Leorio stalls, feeling Gon's leg rub up against his obvious erection, straining against his tight dress pants, his face flushing red with shame.

Gon freezes when he realizes what's going on here. A very similar situation to the one he had faced only a few hours earlier, though with a few differences. First of all, this time he’s in control. A rush of adrenaline pumps through him once he realizes this. He has power. Pushing his knee into Leorio's erection, he leans in for another kiss.

The older man gasps, but it's cut off by Gon's lips. Another violently passionate kiss. Leorio can see how his golden brown eyes have grown wild and glazed over with lust. A side of Gon he never thought he'd get to see, but it was there, and on display. His head swims with arousal and a whole mess of other emotions.

"Should I take care of this?" Gon asks, panting something fierce. Leorio can't believe what’s beating against his eardrums, but he nods. This is either the worst, or best day of his life.

Gon slowly, but surely, works his way down to the tent in Leorio's pants, tempted to rest his chin on it to tease him. Instead, he runs his hands over it pensively before backing up. He slowly undoes the button, and zipper. Leorio's brain is a runaway train: the passengers are all screaming and on fire. Much like him, but not literally.

Hesitantly, Gon pulls down Leorio's pants and boxers, just enough so his dick pops out and nearly hits him. Gon pays it no mind as he prepares himself. What Hisoka did didn't seem so hard... Just lick and suck, right? He opens his mouth, and closes it around the tip. Leorio's knees buckle around the boy as he does so, Gon swirling his tongue around and around, pre-cum leaking out.

He didn't mind the taste, it was a little bitter, but he could get used to it. Leorio gasped for air, just from this little bit. Sure, he had had sex with some of his female classmates, but for some reason, with Gon, it felt a hundred times better. He shyly runs a hand through his hair, as the other one dangles over the side of the seat. Leorio was encouraging him to go on, and the younger boy got the signal.

Carefully, Gon takes in most of the shaft, Leorio was about 6 to 7 inches, somewhere in the middle. He can almost fit it all, but he'd probably choke if he went any farther. As he did so, Gon looked up through his now very thick eyelashes. Leorio's face is contorted in pleasure and shame, making Gon smile around his cock. He finally decides to suck, bobbing his head up, and down. Ever so slowly, making Leorio tug the younger boy's hair, but not too hard. The blue lipstick was leaving some marks on the man's erection, which made Gon a little embarrassed, but frankly, Leorio didn't care, or even notice.  
Gon makes sure to use his tongue as much as he can, swirling it around the man's shaft. Leorio's head is in the clouds, completely overloaded with euphoria. He’s so close already, and it’s killing him. He’s clearly trying to hold back, but this is simply too much.

"Gon, I...!"

Leorio chokes on his words as he cums in Gon's mouth, coughing and groaning at the same time. Graceful. Gon makes sure to swallow it all so nobody would have stains on their clothes.

The car stops: they’ve arrived at their destination. Leorio and Gon share a nervous look. Leorio quickly puts his dick away and pulls up his pants. He’s just about to get out of the car, reaching for the handle, when Gon’s small hand grabs his own.

"Hey...Can you kiss me again?" Gon asks. He was going to say 'Could you kiss me one last time?', but he holds himself back. That would be too sad. They’ll surely make it back alive.

He pushes the thought out of his mind as he leans in towards Leorio’s lips.


	11. Off the Board

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY CHRISTMAS i've had this draft for chapter 11 since summer, i just got around to finishing it SO  
> its kinda short??? but the next chapter will be more eventful probably,

As the large mahogany doors swung open, Gon held his breath. 

The pair of them, who promptly handed their invitations to the guards, stepped inside the golden atrium. The name was appropriate, humans pumping through the large floor to the other parts of the mansion. Good. Gon thought to himself. No one will be suspicious if we go upstairs.

The chandelier above them swung ominously, like a pendulum. Something was going on upstairs. He tried not to think about it, as the laughter of noble women filled his ears, making his chest swell. He was a noble woman for the night. He might as well act like it. He held himself high. He was an important guest, this time. 

He was hyper-aware of the pistol strapped to his inner thigh, as Leorio nervously, flusteredly held his hand, running his thumb over it a few times. The fact that he might have to kill settled like a rock in the back of his mind. He didn't mind. If it was an ant, it was fine. They were all savages, killing innocents like...ants. Is that how they got their name? Gon didn't think about it too hard, clutching his handbag. This was crucial, he absolutely could not fail. 

A few women looked his way, skeptical looks. Whispers bubbled over the circles of people, like a boiling pot. 

I've never seen her before. Is she new around here? 

You could say he was new. He ran his tongue over his teeth nervously, thankfully his disguise worked. He just looked like a especially short young woman. The clack of his heels hitting the marble floor was hopelessly drowned out by voices. Even during rush hour, the casino never got this crowded. Gon was leading Leorio now, he was determined. More determined than ever.

If he did good, Hisoka would praise him. If he wasn't trying to act two and a half times his age right now, he would beam just thinking about being praised. But his internal puppy tail was wagging a mile a minute, as he kept his regal expression. 

The pair reached the stairs, people working their way up them as well. Gon smiled at the people he walked by, and they usually gave him a weird look, before turning back to their partner. Leorio's head was spinning, both from this, and the events that transpired just a half an hour before. Maybe less. 

Carefully, Gon climbed the stairs, each step placed with perfect precision. If he stumbled, that could blow their cover. The sound of violins and pianos drifted through the air, playing with the eardrums of every attendee. It was much more elegant than the smoky casino he was so used to. 

He wasn't sure where to go, as he pulled Leorio over to the side. Guests bustled by the pair of them, as Leorio seemed to be snapped out of his trance. 

"Gon- What's up? Is something wrong?" He sharply whispers, concerned. 

"I just- I don't know where to go." Gon admits, looking down the east wing, then the west wing. 

"Shit, that's kind of important, right?" Leorio throws his head back, staring at the ceiling. "I would say 'let's wing it' but that's kind of not an option right now." He glances at one of the obvious guards, standing next to a door a ways away. "Maybe over there?" Leorio suggested, half pointing over there, trying not to draw attention to them. 

Gon looked at the door, feeling a pang of excitement run through him, the pistol strapped to his thigh leaking into his mind again. But, getting into a fire fight this early would be very risky. As the two of them thought, the people around them started to filter downstairs, as the main band was setting up. The crowd would be enormous. Gon's brain grinded in on itself, trying to think of a plan. 

"Hey, Leorio, do you still have your knife?" He asked, pointedly not making eye contact. He was too excited to. Maybe.

"Uh- yeah." He opens up his suit jacket, and pulls out a simple switchblade. Gon grabs it out of his hand, much to Leorio's surprise. "What are you going to do with it?"

Gon absentmindedly pops the blade out and back in. "Do you know where a fuse box would be in a mansion this big?" Breath heavy, Gon inquires. 

Leorio flinches, thinking about it. Gon was a lot more crafty than anyone gave him credit for. "Probably in the basement. I saw some doors behind the stairs when we came in. That's- That's probably it. Probably." 

The young boy nods, looking determined as ever. His voice was uncharacteristically dark. "Let's go." 

The older man wavers a bit, as Gon makes his way down the stairs. What was with him? He heard from Killua that Gon gets...weird when the ants are involved. It was worrying him. Honestly. He followed the boy down the large flight of stairs. Gon was a strong kid. He could handle it.

Working their way through the dancing crowd, Gon and Leorio stayed close. Gon offered his hand to Leorio, who hesitantly accepted. Some hairs were starting to escape from the thick ponytail he had, making him look progressively more and more disheveled. Leorio didn't say anything.

"Wait over by that wall." Gon's voice was still cloudy, like a storm about to unleash itself. Leorio reluctantly listened. He felt that it wasn't the best idea to let Gon do something on his own. But who was it bad for? He wasn't sure, honestly. 

As he leaned against the gold and yellow wall he stared intently at the boy's fleeting figure. Was he going to stab the guard? Wouldn't that create too much noise, and a even bigger panic?

Gon disappeared into the darkeness behind the steps. Pensively, Leorio crossed his arms. Please. Please Gon. Don't do anything stupid. He was very rash when the ants were in the picture. This time was no exception. 

It seemed like an eternity, as he saw a blue dress coming towards him. 'Thank god.' Leorio could finally breathe again. Gon's expression was still dark as ever. 

"Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine. I want you to stay with me when the power shuts off. Hold my hand." His voice was so cold. It made Leorio shiver on the inside. He took Gon's hand, feeling how warm it was. It would be comforting, if it wasn't for the deep resolve he felt radiating off of the boy. This was trouble. 

No one noticed the two of them slip behind the large staircase. If anyone did, they'd probably assume they were going to make-out like a couple of teenagers. Which they were. But for the night they were both 25. The guard was collapsed, and slumped against the wall. 

Leorio nudges Gon. "What did you do to him?" 

"Choked him out." He said it so nonchalantly, it sent a shiver up Leorio's spine. 

"Nice." Was all he could really manage. 

The music was deafening. So Gon took this as his cue to kick the door down. It made Leorio jump backwards as the wooden door flew off, but no one ever stuttered outside. Strange. Interacting with Gon right now was... difficult. So he kept his mouth shut as they searched the backroom. Gon ran his hand over the wall, switchblade in his left. 

Bonk. 

"Here." Gon murmured mostly to himself, before reeling back, and stabbing the fuse box as hard as he could. He wasn't a very methodical person. Like a charm, the power cut. The backup generator would take a while to get started in the chaos, but they still had to work fast. 

"Ok, ok. Can we even make it through that?" Leorio was obviously referring to the screaming patrons. 

"Well, first of all. We need to get out of here." Gon says matter-of-factly, handing Leorio his switchblade. 

"G-Good idea." Leorio felt a smaller hand grab his as he drug him out of the room, winding and running past the patrons. Everyone was in hysterics, except for them as the raced up the stairs. 

"Left." Gon barked softly, but loud enough for Leorio to hear over the deafening panicked screams of a thousand or so people. 

They dashed down the hall, feeling people brush by them as they run the opposite way. There was too much chaos for anyone to notice them going against traffic. The two of them were quickly approaching their destination, making a black hole appear in the pit of Leorio's stomach. This could go south so quickly. He could be dead in the next minute. That nearly paralyzed him, but Gon dragging him along kept his feet moving. 

As they reached the door, Gon pulled his pistol out of the holster strapped to his thigh. Leorio broke into a cold sweat, trying not to vomit as he pulled out his pistol as well. Without hesitation, Gon kicked the door in. Leorio wasn't sure how he could do that in heels. 

The young boy scanned the room cold metal seeming to melt in his hand. Sure enough, this was the room, it had a large, expensive mahogany desk smack dab in the middle.

"This just has to be it." Gon murmurs, progressing through the room, it being strangely padded. His heels made almost no noise when smacking on the floor, just the soft press of carpet. Leorio followed nervously behind, trying to hold himself high. He was strong, he could do this, and both of them would get out alive. 

He approaches the desk, putting on the gloves he was given earlier, along with the hand scanner. Leorio's heart hammered in his chest as Gon did so, standing guard as the younger opened a drawer, sifting through the piles of paper with a great amount of focus.

"Found it."

Gon murmurs, holding the document up. Nothing was blacked out, so It must be hot off the press. Gon was curious, but the document had very tiny print, and would take ages to read. So instead, he runs it though the scanner, and quickly places the document where it used to be. Gon gulps dryly, slooooowly closing the desk drawer. 

Gon takes a step back, composing himself, before returning to Leorio's side. The two exchange looks, both very nervous smiles.

"Uh ok, now what?" Leorio questions, clutching his pistol.

"Now-- we bounce." 

And as if on cue, ant soldiers start to swarm the hallway. This was going to be a looooooong night.


	12. Down to the Felt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KNOW ITS BEEN ALMOST TWO YEARS BUT, YKNOW, I fell out of HXH but I just started rewatching it with a friend and got inspired again to write this thing!!! I'm probably gonna finish it, I swear, so enjoy this short ish chapter!!

Everything had gone dark. Eyes open like heavy garage doors, revealing the plain, concrete room before him. Gon groans, trying to move, but to no avail. They start to panic, but his arms were tied tightly behind the chair, and so were his legs. But thankfully, there was only a dull pain at the back of their head; probably from the blow that knocked them out. Nothing more than that. A heavy sigh escapes his lungs, noticing that his hair tie is gone, and their lipstick was smeared everywhere. 

"What...what happened..." His voice was distant, he was still majorly out of it. Heels nowhere to be found, but they still had tights, at least. 

The room was, as mentioned, very plain, with concrete walls and floors. It was cold, freezing, almost. Like they were far underground. Gon shuts his eyes in pain, their head was throbbing. 

He hears the door open, hinges making a loud squeak as they swing. His eyes snap open to see who it is.

"Oh my, look whose awake." They purr, red eyes raking up and down Gon's fragile figure. "I thought we might have killed you." 

They have shoulder length white hair, and wear a blue coat that comes down to their knees. They saunter in the room carelessly, seemingly amused by the whole situation. 

"Who are you?" Gon weakly asks, trying to fight off the migraine. 

"Who am I? Oh, I guess you'd like to know, huh? It's Pitou. Neferpitou, if you're nasty. I'm a they. Not like it matters to the dead."

"Eh? Am I dead?" Gon asks incredulously, naivety showing through. 

Pitou chortles, entertained. "Oh no no, not yet at least." They pause. "You're awfully funny, for someone working for the troupe." They lick their lips. "And young, too."

Gon narrows his eyes at the person, as they approach him. 

"You know this isn't going to end with you escaping, right?" They lean into his face, inches from the boy. They straighten up, and begin to pace back and forth.

"Either you die with your information, or you tell us, and join us. Wouldn't you like to be an ant?" They muse to Gon, but it almost seems like they're talking to themself.

Gon grits their teeth. "I'd much rather die than be an ant." He hates the ants more than anything.

Pitou raises an eyebrow, before laughing.

"But you'll gladly work for the troupe? Do you know what they do?" They inquire, looking down on the boy. 

"..." Gon honestly can't answer. What did they even do? Gon had no earlthly idea. They just knew that ants were evil and hurt innocents...and they just didn't like them. Hisoka and the troupe were nice to him, so what did he care what they did? 

"They kill. Lots of people. I mean, so do we, but that's the point. They're just as bad as us. You've been brainwashed, little one." They purr that last part, sparking an inky black rage in Gon's stomach.

"I don't care! You guys are evil!" They practically scream, pulling at their bonds. Sweat pouring down his brow. 

"Alright kid, believe whatever. But, you're gonna talk. " They threaten, ambling over to the boy. They tower over him, before snapping out of it. 

"Oh! Whoopsie, I forgot my taser! Just one sec!" They rub the back of their neck playfully before rushing out the door. Gon just stares at the door they exited from. What a 180. Well, Gon was kind of like that, we'rent they? No, not at all. They were nothing alike, Gon assured himself. 

"Youpi! Pouf! Where's my stun gunnnnn!?" Their voice calls, sounding distant. 

"Isn't it in your room?" A gruff voice yells back. 

"Oh! Yeah! Thank mew!" They acted awfully cute for being a murderer. He hears footsteps go up and down the hallway outside, some doors opening and closing, and finally, the heavy door swings open, making Gon jump.

A sharp 'BZZRR' sound rings out in the small room as Pitou activates the stun gun, which was covered in cat stickers, they wave it around, with a bemused expression on their face. They smirk, eyes narrowing.

"Nyow, are you gonna talk, or do I have to give you a shock?" They punctuate the sentence with another activation of the taser. Gon breaks out into a cold sweat. "Like, give me your bosses names, or whatever." They seem almost disinterested in the information. 

Gon's hands ball up into fists as they fight against their bonds, heart hammering in their chest. "I'll never talk! They're my friends!" Gon shouts angrily, holding eye contact with the bored Pitou. 

Their eyes light up, as they saunter over to the boy tied to the chair. Their heels were barely audible above Gon's breathing. He braces himself for the impact. 

Gon gasps as the stun gun is pressed into their arm. They press down hard on the button, and Gon's mind goes blank. The loud crackling sound of the stun gun burning his flesh, and their muscles contracting all at once. It racks his brain, making everything go white. They make a gurgling sound in the back of his throat as the shock starts to slow. Pitou pulls the taser back, a playful smirk dancing on their face.

He goes limp, gasping for air as he comes to. Gon's head was still jumbled, as they wheezed for breath, clenching and unclenching their fists. A mess of words tumbled out of his mouth, vision blurry. They kept a determined expression, though they couldn't even see their captor. 

"How amewsing, you make adorable little sounds!" Pitou muses, pacing circles around the boy. "But, the sounds I'd like most to hear, are your screams~"

"I'll... Never..." Gon chokes out, starting to shake off the effects of the stun gun. 

"Hmm? Oh, don't worry, you will~ but maybe, I might have to do more than just this..." They look at the stun gun distastefully, and carelessly tosses it to the ground. It hits with a plastic 'thunk'. Gon flinches. Just what were they going to do--

They immediately place a hand on Gon's arm, tied behind his back. A chill is sent up his spine. 

"I'll just break your arm~" They sing to a random tune. Gon's hairs stand up on end, and he swallows the lump in his throat. They could deal with it, they'd be fine, as long as their friends are safe--

"PITOU! You're late for our meeting!" A voice calls out from outside of the room, and Pitou jumps. 

"Ughhh, FINE! I'm coming!" They start to storm out the room, but glance back at Gon, thinking for a second. They look out past the door, and rush through it, bringing a man back. 

"Meleoron, guard this kid. Or it's out of your paycheck!" Pitou says sweetly to the man just out of view. 

"Yes, xir." The man answers, and Pitou then skip off down the hallway, and the man comes into Gon's line of sight. 

He's a man of average height, probably Hispanic, like Gon, with a blonde undercut. He wears a pair of large glasses, and a squareish nose. He wore a grey sweatsuit, with hands shoved in his pockets. He mumbles something in Spanish under his breath at Pitou, before entering the room. 

"Uh, yo." He greets Gon awkwardly. Gon looks bewildered, this guy has such a different aura than Pitou; much calmer. How was he part of the ants? 

"Names Meleoron. And, uh, you are?" He didn't seem to be completely aware of his place. Even though Gon was just being tortured, he seemed pretty friendly towards the teen. 

"...Gon. Gon Freecss. Nice to meet you!" Gon chirps, even though their entire body ached. Gon could smell that this guy was good, well, he could also smell that he reeked of smoke, but that's besides the point.

"Yeah... Why are you here? Did ya get caught?"

Gon nods. "Um, yeah, I did. Pitou wants me to join."

He shakes his head. "Nah, don't do that. This place kind of sucks, honestly. I joined cause I was desperate." He cuts himself short. He obviously had more to say, but they had just met.

"Yeah, I was pretty desperate too." Gon says nonchalantly, glancing at the burn on their upper arm. "But I'm glad I work there."

"Where?"

"The Jackpot Casino; just a few blocks away." 

Meleorons eyes flash with recognition. He hesitates, drawing a breath. 

"The casino, eh? One of our agents was sent to spy there; but they disappeared." Meleoron obviously didn't care about splurging secrets to the boy, out of his distaste for his bosses. 

Gon raises an eyebrow. "Oh, is that so? Who was it?" They realized they were much more relaxed around him; once again, his aura was just... Calming. It was almost like he wasn't tied up in a chair, just gossiping with a friend.

"A guy named Ikalgo. Only a year younger than me, an excellent sniper. A real nice dude, y'know? The only one I got along with around here. I hope he's okay." Meleoron takes out a cigarette, lights it, and takes a puff off of it. 

"He's okay!" Gon blurts out. Meleoron looks shocked. "Uh, I mean, he works at the casino now." 

Meleoron takes another hit on his cigarette, nodding. "So he betrayed us. Not surprised, this place sucks." He says matter-of-factly, leaning against the doorframe. 

Silence befalls the two of them, but Gon sees it fit to speak up.

"You're not like the ants." He says breathlessly. "You're too calm." Gon adds, bright eyes examining the man. 

Meleoron laughs, taking the cigarette out of his mouth. "Y'think so?" He walks over to Gon, looking down at the boy. He blinks a few times, thinking it over. "Thanks, kid. I like you, y'know? And I can't stand Pitou-- they're something fucked up." 

He moves behind Gon, and begins to untie his bonds, shocking the boy to the core. But, at the same time, he knew that Meleoron is a good person. 

Gon's arms come free, he cracks his shoulders as Meleoron starts to untie their ankles from the legs of the chair. The boy stands up, doing a few stretches. Their blue and black dress was splattered with blood, and ripped in some places. 

"So, y'wanna get out of here?" Meleoron offers a hand to the boy, with a smirk and cigarette in the other. 

Gon's eyes sparkle with admiration, and he nods, as he takes the man's hand.

\--

Gon had hopped on his back, since he was in no condition to be walking, and they had sped down the hallway, no one noticing. Meleoron was incredible at hiding his presence. Gon knew that he was extremely calm, at least, when it counted. So this is what that accounted for. 

Meleoron speeds behind a wall, barely avoiding a guards line of sight. "Okay, hold your breath  now--" He puts out his cigarette on the concrete wall, surrounded by countless doors. 

Gon sucks in a breath, and makes a thumbs up at him. Meleoron smirks, before taking off down the hallway again, flying by a few guards undetected. Gon was amazed by this ability, eyes sparkling. 

\--

They finally had reached the surface, outside of the ants underground base. Meleoron gently placed Gon down, as he flagged down a taxi. No way we're the two of them walking the next couple blocks. 

"Eh-- you need to go back! I'll be fine on my own!" Gon insist as he steps into the taxi. 

Meleoron shakes his head. "Nah, I'm out of here. I'm coming with you." He seats himself next to Gon, and puts an arm around him cautiously. 

"To the Jackpot Casino, please." Gon says to the driver, who nods at the two of them. The taxi begins to take off down the street, as Meleoron explains.

"I'd rather be with you. Gon, you've got some charisma that I just can't ignore." He passionately whispers, a little emberassed. 

"And anyway, I'd rather be around someone interesting like you." 

"Likewise." Gon says fondly, and moves to kiss Meleoron on the cheek. He sputters, surprised, as Gon giggles. "A reward for rescuing me."


	13. Taking Odds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DID U THINK I WAS GONNA NOT WRITE ANYMORE PORN FOR THIS SERIES??? I HOPE UR READY FOR LEOGON CAUSE ITS MY GUILTY SHIP!!! I've been having a blast writing jackpot lately!! I hope you all enjoy!! Btw: views expressed in this series are not my own, obviously. What Gon believes and I believe are two different things!! I'd hope if ur reading this you'd assume but, it's fine,
> 
> Also!!! If u wanna talk about Gross Garbage feel free to hmu!! I have like. No one to talk to about Nasty Gon ships so. My Twitter is @everydayddream and you can ask for my discord from there!!

"I'm back!" Gon calls cheerfully into the casino, which was empty at 4:00 in the afternoon, barring the employees, who immediately ran over to the boy, some nearly in tears. Biske is the first one to make it to him, picking him up and spinning him around. Killua and Ikalgo follow shortly after. Meleoron slinks behind Gon, a little nervous to be here. 

"Oh, Gon my boy! We were all so worried about you-- I was about 5 seconds from sending a search party! When Leorio came back without you we were all terrified of the worst..." 

Gon's mind suddenly remembers the night before. The party, and Leorio. Leorio! 

"Is he okay? Did we get the documents?" Gon blurts out to a confused Biske. 

Killua buts in. "The old guy is fine and so are the scans, what about you?" He asks impatiently, As Ikalgo and Meleoron seem to recognize each other. The two of them chat off to the side as Biske puts Gon down.

Gon thinks for a moment. He was fine! Well, his head still hurt and he had a pretty nasty burn from Pitou's stun gun, but otherwise, he was just dandy. "I'm fine!" He chirps. 

"My oh my, you may be fine, but your outfit has seen better days.♦️" A voice as smooth as silk teases. Gon whirls around to see Hisoka, with Leorio in tow. Hisoka has something in a dress bag on his arm, and Leorio looks relieved. He beams at the two of them, especially glad to see Leorio. He'd... Think about what happened later. For now, Gon just stared, as Kite came up next to him as well. They simply offered a encouraging smile, obviously glad to see that Gon was alive and well. Make that 2 scrapes with death. 

As Hisoka closes the gap between himself and Gon, he hands the concealed outfit to the smaller boy, who takes it with gratitude. This dress was ripped and splattered with blood here and there, making that dress number two that's been destroyed by Gon's hands. Hisoka didn't seem to mind, an amused expression playing on his face. 

"Go get changed. ♥️" he simply says to the boy, who nods. Gon starts to make his way behind the counter, before Leorio lightly grips his arm. He whispers to the boy, hushed.

"Uh, after yer done cleaning up, can you come to my office?"

The tall man obviously was nervous, even after the encounter him and Gon had the day prior. Call it a crush, for sure. Gon shakes his head yes to the question, golden eyes seemingly tampered with. Leorio disregards, he's probably a little shaken up after being held by the ants. He lets go, watching Gon sink into the shadows of the Casino.

\--

Gon removes the cover off the outfit, which earns a small gasp from the boy. Inside was a familiar bunny outfit; but now with a stripe of card suits on the left side, bows on the bunny ears and tail, and a garter belt with their fishnet stockings. Quite the upgrade, Gon noted. He lets his current black and blue dress drop to the ground, pooling around his ankles, and began to pull on the new outfit.

All at once, the memories of what happened the night before came flooding back, now that Gon had time to think.

\--

 

"Run!" Gon shouted, as the ant soldiers surrounded the pair of them. Gon took out the pistol they held in their stocking and fired into the crowd of ants, eyes going cold. Leorio followed suit, looking shaken already as he pulled out the pistol. In the confusion, the two of them dashed through the crowd, gunfire went off behind the two of them as they sped down the plush carpet, and down the stairs.

Time began to move extremely slowly, as Gon turned around to return fire, someone had caught up to them. The white haired person. Where did they even come from? Before Gon could react, a steel pipe crashed into their back, making them hit the ground like a sack of bricks. 

Gon's head spins for a second, as they skid across the floor, their clutch comes loose from their hand, and slides towards Leorio, who had stopped dead in his tracks. He quickly crouches down to scoop the purse up, and aimed his gun with the other... But the crowd of ants was catching up to the pair, and time was wearing thin. Pitou looked Leorio directly in the eyes, challenging him to shoot them. He couldn't. 

"Leorio!! Just go!!" Gon yells, back still throbbing, gunshots ringing off.

"But..." Leorio doubles back, looking down at Gon in horror. But he knows it's the only option, this information was priceless. 

"GO!!" He barks, as the pipe is brought down upon his skull, making everything go black.

\--

Zipping up the body suit, securing the garter belt, pulling on his gloves, he felt right at home in this outfit. Everything felt like it was back to normal. But, Gon knew that this wasn't the end. There was still an army to fight. And Gon was willing to. 

Once the heels came on, Gon breathed a sigh of relief. At least, it would be back to normal for a little bit. He steps out of the changing room, and strides down the hall. The clack of his heels against the tile floor made him fill up with pride. This is how he felt comfortable, Gon notes. 

Ah, yes. He was going to go see Leorio! His metaphorical tail wagged in excitement. He was worried about his friend, and you bet Leorio was sweating over Gon for the past day or so. The smoky air of the casino filled his lungs as he pushed the heavy mahogany door open, the smell making him feel at home, along with the din of slot machines and idle conversation. Peoples laughter and bells of slots set the stage for a late night at the Jackpot casino. 

Gon waves to Killua, Ikalgo and Meleoron, the later is now in a waiters outfit, He guessed that Hisoka gave him a job on the spot, they always needed more man power as the summer roared on. He moves past the bar where the three of them stood, and turns into a hallway, only painted a maroon with no wallpaper with a thick, black door labeled 'SECURITY'. Gon took a breath, before moving in.

"Leorio?" Gon stuck his head in the door, finding the man sitting at the monitors. He whirls around, spooked. Gon laughs as he shuts the door behind him. "I'm glad you're okay." Gon says sweetly, voice laced with honey. That seems to send a shiver up Leorio's spine.

"Y-yeah. Same here." He answers, face heating up. He pulls a chair next to him, motioning for Gon to come sit. The boy obliges, the faint buzzing of the monitors and clicking of his heels the only sound in the room. He gently sits on the rolling desk chair next to Leorio. 

"So, uh. About the other night." Leorio eyes his pack of cigarettes. His hands were starting to shake again. "I'm uh- I'm sorry. This is really wrong. You're just a kid--"

Gon pouts audibly. "So this is what this is about? Geez, Didn't I already say I like you back? It doesn't matter if it's wrong!" Gon says with conviction, making Leorio do a double take.

"Well, I mean, it's against the law, Gon--"

Gon pulls out his pistol, which was included with the outfit, out of his holster. " This is illegal too. So why not break more laws? It's not like you're hurting me." Gon said like it was the most logical thing in the world. Leorio sighs.

"I guess it's no use getting through to you, huh..." Leorio rubs the back of his neck, blush spreading. 

"Nope!" Gon chirps as he puts his gun away, making sure the safety is on. He raises from his seat, and moves in front of Leorio, taking his chin in Gon's hand. 

"G-Gon?" 

"Shh, this is wrong, remember?" Gon teases. Leorio avoids eye contact. 

Gon leans in to kiss Leorio, their lips sealing together. Leorio closes his eyes, flustered and embarrassed. Gon presses further, pushing Leorio down into his seat. Even with the man sitting down, Gon was just barely taller than him. Leorio grips the sides of his chair, bracing himself.

As Gon pulls away, Leorio moves his hands to grip Gon's hips, smoothing over them with his palms. He moans out loud at the touch,  gripping at the mans tie. Leorio had finally given in, and lifts Gon by the hips onto his lap, now the boy was straddling his erection, making him shiver. He sucks in a breath as Gon shifts around, making himself comfortable. Gon grips the older man's shoulders, steadying himself. 

Gon dives in for another kiss, pulling Leorio as close as he can. Leorio moves a hand to the small of Gon's back, comfortably resting there, like his hand belonged there all along. In fact, all of Gon seemed to be familiar, like a book he had read a million times. The way his eyes were a beautiful gold, the way his sides rolled into his hips, the way his legs were slim but muscular. Everything was in place, and Leorio adored it. 

A trail of saliva connected the two of them as Gon pulls away, with a sly smile on his face. He seemed contented, pressing his erection into Leorio's, earning a gasp out of the older man. 

"G-Gon, I- ah, fuck..." Leorio curses, as Gon moves a hand down to cup the tent in his dress pants, rubbing him gently. 

"Hmm- you're really hard already. Didn't you say you didn't want to do this anymore?" Gon snarks, still teasing the poor man below him. Leorio mutters something, and Gon giggles. 

Meanwhile, Leorio fiddles with the zipper on the back of Gon's bunny suit, as if non-verbally asking if he can remove it. Gon's golden eyes meet his, and he nods. Leorio takes a breath as he slowly unzips the outfit, eyes eagerly eating up the image of Gon's body slowly being revealed. Gon had pulled away so that Leorio could get a better look. The mans breath hitched as he reached the end of the zipper, the absence of the sound making the both of them shiver. Leorio gently helped pull off the suit and was shocked at what he found.

"You don't--?"

"Wear underwear? Nope! At least, in this outfit. It's kind of inconvenient." Gon realizes why Leorio would find that strange, or even arousing, and smiles. "Hehe, do you like that?"

The bunny suit drops to the ground, making a soft thump. Leorio gulps, feeling like he's going to explode. Gon reads his expression, and begins to undo Leorio's fly, unzipping it, and quickly pulling out his erection. Gon hums happily, to see something familiar. It was already begging to soak itself with pre-cum, even from this little of stimulation. Gon starts to jack him off gently, drinking in Leorio's sounds. He absolutely adored the cute sounds that Leorio made. 

"Ah- ahh... Gon, wait..." 

Gon's hands slow to a stop, as Leorio takes a hand and starts to bring Gon's dick closer to his. Using another hand, he takes hold of both of them as they start to collide. Gon's breath hitches, his forehead pressing against Leorio's. He exhales, slowly stroking the both of them together. 

The younger grabs Leorio's face, and pulls him into another kiss, drunk with lust. Leorio's pace picked up as Gon pressed further into him, lips making a tight seal. His eyes were fogged, seemingly lost. Leorio grips the two of them tighter together, quickening his pace. The two of them were coated in precum, making this exceptionally easy. Gon pulls his lips away, making a slick pop. He then snuggles into Leorio's shoulder, groaning and bucking his hips into Leorio's hand. 

"Leorio... Hah... I'm ...!" 

Gon breathes into the mans shoulder, before thrusting his hips forward, and finishing. It shoots out all over Leorio's dick, and the bottom of his shirt, as Gon shivers and moans from his orgasm. 

"God, Gon , y- you're gonna make me cum--!" Leorio harshly whispers, exasperated. A few moments later, he reaches his limit, cumming thick ropes all over Gon's front. The boy doesn't seem to mind at all, still catching his breath. He hums joyously, looking intently at Leorio's face as he orgasms. The former was currently seeing stars, his had came so hard just from this... Gon had a terrible power over him. It almost made him feel helpless, in the best possible way. His mostly naked body glowed, not just from the light of the monitors, as cum dripped slightly off his stomach. 

"S-sorry about that... I'll clean you up." Leorio breathes, moving to riffel through his drawer for his ever present supply of wet naps, which came in handy more often than not. He felt a soft kiss on his cheek, obviously perpetrated by Gon. He giggles softy.

"We should do this more often!" 

\--

 

"Ah, how nice. ♠️"

Hisoka muses, eyes glued to the security monitors. He blinks slowly, taking in the image of Gon's body. 

"It looks like my little waiter has taken my advice, I'm so glad. ♣️"

He takes the dvd out, happy he decided to record Leorio and Gon's... Conversation. He tucks the dvd in his desk, for safe keeping. 

"Maybe he's changed a bit after all...♥️"


	14. Venus Throw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM ON A ROLL WITH THESE HELL YEAH!!! Kind of a nice chapter this time, I hope y'all enjoy!!! If you wanna talk w/me go on by my Twitter @everydayddream , and I can give u my discord or skype!! Come be nasty with me

"So, you were a spy." Killua says simply, lounging against the bar. Ikalgo nods, looking down in embarrassment. Meleoron was off fufilling an order, perfectly balancing a tray full of drinks on one hand. He was practically a natural, Killua noted. No need to train him at all, which Killua was honestly relieved. He already trained Gon, and Ikalgo. He was kind of tired of it. Cheadle comes up to the bartender and hands over an order, looking poised while doing so. Killua and Ikalgo glance at her, both feeling a little awkward.

"Let me get this straight, I'm not." Killua jokes, earning a small smile out of Ikalgo. He then continues. "I mean, you were a spy, but decided to turn against the ants because you thought we were nice. That's rich." White hairs are swept out of blue eyes, as he adjusts his position on the barstool, locking eyes with Ikalgo. "And now you're working here." 

"That... That's correct." Ikalgo wrings his hands together. "I didn't really like my bosses back when I worked for the ants." He gulps. "But, you knew I was here all along." Ikalgo makes eye contact again. "Right?"

Killua looks surprised for a second, but that transitions into a small smile. "Heh, you knew?" He leans back into the bar. "Of course I knew you were here. What kind of assassin would I be if I couldn't sense a spy?"

"Huh. I guess that makes sense." Ikalgo shifts in his seat. "I have to admit, you were mostly the reason I decided to turn over." A slight blush dusts his already freckled face. "I thought you were interesting." He bites his lip. "And...I thought you were cool. And that we could be friends...?"

Killua gives a bemused look to the older boy, eyes glinting with pride. "Heh. Well, I guess you've accomplished that, huh?" Ikalgo looks up, face consumed with a blush. 

"Really?"

"I mean, with how much we talk, and make out, I'd say we're friends." Killuas expression was almost dangerous, making a chill run up Ikalgo's spine. 

"I'm... I'm glad." Ikalgo looks down and to the side, eyes soft and fond. Meleoron had finally returned from delivering the tray full of drinks. 

"Yo, sorry about that. One of the girls was getting kinda friendly." 

Killua laughs, and Ikalgo shrugs, still smiling. 

"I'd be careful if I were you. Gon already marked you, didn't he?" Killua jokes, jabbing Meleoron in the shoulder. He retaliates by lightly shoving the white haired boy, nearly making him fall off the barstool. He snickers, regaining his balance. 

"I should've never told ya about that... I was just wondering if it was a thing that he does, y'know?" Meleoron argues, securing a seat next to Killua. "Where is he, anyways?" He looks around the casino from his seat, trying to spot the boy.

The faint jingling of bells was somehow heard over the din of the casino, and all three of them perked up. 

"Speak of the devil." Killua mutters as Gon rounds the corner, looking a little disheveled, but otherwise, good as new. Ikalgo noticed a small burn on their forearm, but says nothing.

"Everyone!" Gon calls out cheerfully, jogging lightly down the carpet to the bar. His outfit had been upgraded, and the three of them finally got a good look. Ikalgo's eyebrows raise, as he eyes Gon up and down, and the other two do the same. 

"You look really nice, Gon." Ikalgo says simply, small smile playing on his lips. Gon bows, obviously excited to get back to work. 

"Thanks! I dunno why Hisoka gave me a new outfit, but I sure like it a whole lot!" Gon turns around In a circle to let everyone see his apparel. Killua wanted to tug on Gon's little bunny tail, but he resists the temptation. 

Geru had somehow come up to the three of them out of nowhere, spooking Meleoron a little. She promptly hands Gon an order. "Could you please take care of this, Gon?" Her voice was strong, yet soft around the edges. Gon nods vigorously, taking the slip of paper away, behind the darkness of the bar. Geru leaves promptly after. 

Blue eyes follow Gon as he leaves, then drift to the red haired boy seated next to him. Killua slips off the barstool, landing with his hands in his pockets. 

"We're heading out. C'mon, Ikalgo." Killua makes his way past the bar, and Ikalgo hurriedly follows, stumbling as he jumps off the barstool. Meleoron watches the two of them, kind of jealous. But, he had Gon to wait for, so it wasn't all bad, he muses to himself. 

Pushing past the early evening patrons, the pair makes it to the door. Killua pushes on the heavy glass door, clearing it with no difficulty, letting the early August air fill his lungs. Ikalgo follows behind closely, swampy atmosphere not bringing him down in the slightest. 

"Where are we even going?" Ikalgo asks, as they past a group of tourists. They happily chatter about nothing, while Killua answers.

"Nowhere. Well- somewhere, but it doesn't matter where." Killua looks back the Ikalgo, smirk playing on his lips. "Think of it as a date."

Ikalgo could have probably died right there. A date?! No way, he totally heard that wrong... 

"Y-you're serious?" Ikalgo harshly whispers in disbelief. Killua nods affirmatively. Ikalgo can feel his face heat up, almost the same as the humid air surrounding the pair. 

The two walk in mild silence down the street, sun just beginning to set over the sleazy port town. It was quaint, in the loosest sense of the word. Ikalgo had only lived here for 4 years, since going from foster home to foster home, until his adoptive parents finally found him. Now, his daily life was not nearly as bad as it was when he was with the ants, and he quite enjoyed it. Killua's company made it all worthwhile. 

Said boy's voice cuts like a knife through Ikalgo's train of thought. "We're here." He says simply, holding the door open for Ikalgo. He dips his head in gratitude as he enters...a coffee shop? Ikalgo briefly looks bewildered before Killua grabs his hand, taking him over to a table. Killua greets a waitress as they sit down at a small table in the corner of the cozy shop. The atmosphere was highly removed from the sordid little town, hardwood floor and mahogany walls lined with picture frames from times long forgotten, yet it had a crisp, modern feel at the same time. 

"What would you two like?" The girl sweetly asks, handing the two of them a simple menu. Killua doesn't even look at it before answering.

"A fudge frappe."

"Alright, and for you?" She says, scribbling it down on a notepad.

Ikalgo takes a quick sweep of the menu, then answers.

"Erm, Honeydew milk tea, please." He says simply, handing the small menu back. She takes it with gratitude, bowing to the two of them.

"Thank you! Your drinks will be out shortly!" She chirps, before walking away to the next table.

Killua offers a smile to the girl, before looking back at Ikalgo, still wearing that trademark smirk.

"Milk tea, huh? I kind of expected that from you." Smugly, Killua rests his chin in his hands.

"Eh- I mean, is it really that predictable?" Ikalgo shifts in his seat, embarrassed by Killua already. "I mean, there's another bubble tea place a few blocks over that Meruem would bring us too, and I kind of got a taste for it there."

Killua raises an eyebrow.

"Meruem?"

Ikalgo looks up in shock. Whoops.

"Ah! Erm. That's my boss' name. The so-called 'king' of the ants." He rubs the back of his neck. "I-I probably should have told you. Sorry, just kind of slipped my mind. Feel free to pass it on to Hisoka." 

Killua lounges against the back of the chair, seemingly amused by this information. "Will do." Blue eyes narrow. "But, indulge me for a bit, why do they call themselves 'ants'? Because they're all mindless drones?"

Ikalgo laughs a little, timidness showing through. "Haha, Er, I guess the term 'ant' is kind of misleading. We should be called 'animals', more or less. All of us have code names, in the form of an animal. For example..." Ikalgo scoots his chair back, stands up, turns around, and lifts up his shirt. Lo and behold, upon his lower back is a tattoo of an octopus. Killua whistles. "I'm an octopus. I WANTED to be a squid, but they insisted that octopi suit me more." He pulls his shirt back down, and sits in the white, decorated chair once again. 

"Maybe because of your hair? It's red and kind of wild." Killua suggests as Ikalgo settles down. 

"Probably. But squids are so much more majestic..."

"But aren't octopi really smart? And so are you, so...y'know." 

Ikalgo blushes a bit, and so does Killua, if only a little. An offhandedly complement, sure, but it still flusters him.

As if on cue, the waitress returns with their drinks. "Here you two go! Enjoy, okay?" She says, voice dripping with honey. Killua's was saturated with cookies and chocolate syrup, while Ikalgo's was a simple, greenish color, with bobas in the bottom. Killua hands the waitress a 2000 Jenny bill, paying for their drinks and then some. She takes it graciously. "Have a nice date!" And with that, she walks away. Ikalgo hides his face for a second, as others turn to look at them. Killua simply laughs. 

Blue eyes scan the building, seeing no threats, Killua takes generous drinks of the frappe,  obvoiusly enjoying it. Ikalgo takes more modest sips of his drink, looking out the window at the winding streets; an a breathtaking view of the sunset over the port. This kind of was a date, isn't it? Ikalgo was fervently denying it, feeling flustered about this whole thing; but it was, when he got down to it, a date. And he was enjoying it. 

"You said you're an assassin, right? If it's not too personal, could you...tell me more?" Ikalgo stutters, feeling shame for prying into someone's private life... They were close enough friends, right?

Killua stops mid-sip, swallowing, and leaning back in his chair. "Huh... Well, I'll give you the jist of it. My parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on were all assassins. So, by extension, all of my siblings, including myself, are. We've been trained since the day we were born to kill." His eyes were looking somewhere far off. "But, I got tired of all of that, and ran away." He leans forward. "So now I work at the casino, and send money back to my little sister Alluka. She's almost got enough to run away, and join me in my apartment. Since it's a plane ride from my house to here, we've had to save up for a while. But Hisoka pays me well, so it didn't take nearly as long as it would have taken if I had gotten a regular job."

Killua sighs, a weight seemingly lifted off his shoulders. "That's about it for my tragic backstory." He glances at the clock, noticing how late it's gotten. Killua takes a final sip on his drink, finishing it off, and gets up to throw it away. Ikalgo follows, as Killua tosses it into the frilly trash bin, he does the same, and comes after him. 

As they treck down the street, silence befalls the two of them. The sun had set, and streetlights come on, shining like dull stars in the middle of the sidewalk. Ikalgo follows closely behind Killua and intently watches his hands, which are in his pockets. What if he just... Grabbed them? Before Ikalgo could think it through, he reaches a hand out, and takes Killua's wrist out of his pants pocket. Killua smirks, and locks hands with the red haired boy. Ikalgo blinks slowly, feeling at peace in his hand. 

"Oi! Is that you, Tako?" A sweet, yet dark voice calls out to Ikalgo, but the both of them whirl around. Killua grips Ikalgo's hand tighter. Before them was curvy woman with long, billowing purple hair, in a slick evening dress. And in tow, was an older man with white hair, and a spider pin on his suit. He stood slightly behind the girl.

 

"And who would you guys be?" Killua questions, hand resting on his concealed pistol. 

"I was talking to the one you're holding on to." She motions to Ikalgo, whose brows furrow with resolve.

"Stay out of this, Zazan." Ikalgo says steadily, with no stuttering. Killua was impressed.

She raises an eyebrow. The man behind her spouts, "How dare you talk to lady Zazan like that!" 

She puts out an arm. "Calm down, Pike. Let me handle this." He settles down, but glares at the pair of them. 

"So this is what you've been doing. Sleeping with those phantom troupe jerks? Traitor. I knew you weren't cut out for being an ant." She says coldly, looking down upon the pair of them. 

"He sure as hell is cut out for anything, you asshole!" Killua retorts, pulling Ikalgo closer. "He's the most skilled sniper I've ever seen, and a hell of a lot smarter and more perceptive than you bastards!"

"Killua, you don't..." Ikalgo trails off, then glares at Zazan, who laughs. 

"What are you two going to do about it? I'll kill you two right here, King Meruem won't even have to bother with you, traitor." She seems to make a move for her gun. "Any last--" 

POW!!

Killua had hauled off and uppercut the woman standing before them, cleanly breaking her jaw. She stumbles back, as Ikalgo pulls his gun and aims it at Pike. Ikalgo had taken charge of the situation, as Killua hangs back. 

"If you don't tell a soul I'm working here, I'll let you go. As far as you're concerned, I was KIA. If word gets out, we're coming after you. And we will know it's you." Ikalgo says cooly, finger moving to the trigger threateningly. Pike cowers. 

"U-Understood! Let us move, Lady Zazan--" 

"HOW COULD YOU HURT MY BEAUTIFUL FACE?!" The woman shrieks, as Pike starts to lead her down the road. She screams and hollers all the while.

"YOU BASTARDS! ILL KILL BOTH OF YOU!" She roars, already half a block away. Neither of the boys dare to breath until they're out of sight. Both of the boys exhale at the same time, looking each other in the eyes.

"That... Was pretty cool, Ikalgo. You're a pretty cool guy." Killua says, exasperated. Ikalgo looks surprised, then it transforms into fond. 

"You are too." Ikalgo simply answers. He starts to move down the street, but is grabbed by the wrist. He whirls around, and before he knows it, he's wrapped up in a kiss, directly under a streetlight. Killua puts a hand on the back of Ikalgo's head, pushing into him. Ikalgo was seeing stars, as Killua pulled him in. 

It would almost be magical, if it wasn't a hundred degrees out. 


	15. Honeymoon Period

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was almost stuck on this chapter but!! We did it boys, enjoy this primo kitegon content  
> come be gross with me my dudes!!! My normal twit is @everydayddream and my nsfw twit is @shotaguros so!!! Come talk to me, or whatever

The clock strikes twelve, making a metallic 'bong' in the distance, Gon looks up from talking to a few patrons. Time had flew, and he had gotten into the groove of work pretty easily. "Huh..." Gon breathes, looking back to the patrons, who were happily chatting up a storm. Gon serves the patrons their drinks, bows, and scurries back to the bar. 

"Welcome back." Meleoron waves to Gon, who waves back with a free hand as he puts the tray behind the bar. The bartender seems to acknowledge him as they continue to clean a glass. Killua and Ikalgo were in the back, monitoring the darts and video poker, and generally being good hosts. That was another part of the job that Hisoka never told them about. Being a host took a lot of social energy. But Gon enjoyed it, he lavished in the attention like a puppy. Girls though he was cute, and... Well, everyone thought he was cute. Being young had its perks, Gon noted. 

Gon hops up on the barstool next to Meleoron, settling down, golden eyes watching the undulating sea of lights and voices. It seemed to stretch on forever, making Gon's chest swell with wonder. 

He feels a hand on his shoulder, and he jumps a bit in surprise. Gon whips around to see Cheadle, her smile was warm and welcoming. He feels himself relax. 

"Gon, Hisoka wants you to come to his office." She bows. "I'll be off now." And with that, she walks off into the sea of lights. Meleoron gives Gon and interested look, while he hops off the barstool.

"I'll be back in a bit!" Gon turns around to go behind the bar, waving to Meleoron. He traces the design on the mahogany bar, as it swirled and flew in all kinds of patterns. The bartender pays him no mind. Once he was past the bar, the open space fed into the huge double doors that led into Hisoka's office. Gon had only seen it from the vents that one time, and been in there with Leorio, but never with Hisoka alone. Gon felt his heart beat faster, rattling in his chest. 

He grips the golden door handle, and pushes with all his might, easily opening the door. The dimly lit room was comfortable, yet foreign at the same time. The large door shuts behind the boy, as he scans the room. Both sides of the room are lined with bookshelves, stuffed to the brim with leather bound books. The smell of leather and expensive perfume filled Gon's senses, especially since he was so sensitive to smell. The huge desk in the middle of the room was populated by one large desk chair. It swivels around, to reveal the man that made Gon's head fill with steam. He chuckles at Gon's reaction.

Hisoka pats his leg, as if inviting Gon to sit... Without thinking, Gon moves behind the desk, and haphazardly jumps into his lap, wrapping arms around his neck. He smelled of sweet spirits, making Gon's heart swell with forbidden feelings, that he wanted to let run wild. Instead, gold meets gold, as the two of them stare into each others eyes. Gon feels like he could die right there.

"Aren't you just the most tempting thing...♥️" Hisoka purrs, voice low, making Gon's head buzz with heat. He takes a gloved hand and runs it through Gon's hair gently, Then ghosting a hand over his back. Gon shivers, leaning into Hisoka.

'He's warm...really warm.' Runs through Gon's head. Of course he's warm, he's twice Gon's size, nearly. But Gon couldn't ignore how fast his heart was beating, Blood roaring in his ears. Gon reaches up, both hands tenderly holding Hisoka's face. Hisoka makes an amused noise, a smirk playing on his lips, as per usual. But it still made Gon heat up. He leans upwards, and pulls Hisoka downwards, into a compassionate kiss. It's sweet, but long, as Gon felt himself melting into the older man, eyes fluttering shut. Everything was perfect, in this moment, Gon found himself thinking. It felt magical, almost unreal, as Gon shyly pulls away. 

"Now now, don't get too eager now, my dear. ♠️"  Hisoka says tenderly, voice barely above a whisper, thought no one else was there. It sent a chill up Gon's spine, but a good one. 

"Do you know why I called you? ♦️"

Gon shakes his head.

"I was actually going to ask you to go train your shooting with Kite, he's the greatest sharpshooter I've ever seen...♣️"

"Ah! Okay, but I thought I was a pretty good shot anyway..."

"Anyone has room for improvement. ♥️" 

"Hmmm, I guess." Gon says simply. He leans up again to kiss Hisoka on the cheek, cute as ever, and then hops down off of his lap. "I'll be off! Thank you, Hisoka!" Gon cheerily calls, practically skipping out of the dark room. As the huge door closes behind him, Hisoka sighs.

"I need to restrain myself... Why is it so tempting to pick unripe fruit?♠️"

Hisoka brings a hand to his face, takes a deep breath, and smirks.

"But, we're not too far off from when he finally blooms...♦️"

\--

Gon makes off on his way to the slot machines, scanning around for signs of white hair or a red cap. Making his way past the patrons lined up in front of the loud, glowing machines, he finally spots him, leaning on a slot machine next to a very nervous looking patron. Gon's face lights up as he starts to run in heels down the carpeted way towards him.

"...and if I catch you again, you'll be banned from this place entirely. Alright?" Kite says menacingly, eyes hidden by a curtain of white. The man vigorously nods, and practically runs out of his seat, past Gon. Temporarily stopped by the display, Gon smiles at Kite, who just noticed him. He takes off his hat, and holds it to his chest, then puts it back on, an obvious greeting. Gon happily skips up to the tall man, who had something in his other hand.

He looks it over as he walks up, confused by the mechanism. "What is that?" Gon asks inquisitively, tilting his head, much like a puppy. Kite sighs, but still has a smile on his face.

"A cheating device."  Kite says simply, shoving his free hand in a pocket.

"But...its just a wire with a light on the end." Gon responds, confused. 

"Exactly." He twirls around the device in his fingers. "Let me show you how it works, then." Kite kneels down in front of the slot machine the two were in front of, beckoning Gon to do the same. Gon obeys, plopping down next to him. Kite flicks on a switch at the end of the device, turning on the small led positioned at the tip. He then inserts it into the coin chute, and fiddles it around, until a click is heard. Suddenly, coins start pouring out of the chute nonstop, making a huge noise of metal clanging against metal. Kite looks back at Gon, who is currently amazed. 

"Woah! That's so cool!" Gon exclaims, as Kite removes the rod, and pockets it. 

"It is, but we're trying to upgrade our machines so this device will no longer work. It's been taking a while though, what a pain..." Kite rubs the nape of his neck as he stands, and Gon follows suit. "But enough about this- what's brought you by?" 

Oh yeah, Gon was here for a reason. 

"Hisoka wanted you to train me in shooting! Since you're the best and all." Gon says simply, golden brown eyes looking into Kite's, making the taller man blush. 

"Of course, we have a shooting range in the back."

"Really?"

"Oh, we never told you about that, huh... I guess I wasn't important enough to mention." Kite starts to make his way out of the maze of lights, Gon follows closely behind. They make a right turn at the back of the slots, towards an almost hidden door, red among a sea of red. Gon felt a tingle of excitement; it was like a secret, him and Kite in a secret room... Gon shivers. 

Kite opens the door, to a small room with booths for shooting, plus targets a few steps away. Each desk had a pair of headphones, to block the sharp noise of a gunshot. Gon was already used to it, though, and he assumed that Kite was too. Kite leads him over to the first booth, which has a little stool under it, so Gon could actually reach. He forgot he was so short sometimes, hanging around all these tall adults. Gon hops up on the stool, and Kite stands closely next to him.

"You have your gun, right?" Kite inquires, and Gon nods affirmatively. He unsheathes his pistol out of its card suit studded holster, showing it off. 

"Alright then, take aim at that target over there." Kite gestures with his head at the red and white generic target on the wall a few yards away.  Gon pulls his pistol up, and carefully aims it at arms length away from himself. He waits for more instructions. They come in a form Gon didn't expect.

"Wait, let me help," Kite mumbles, putting an arm around the boy, making him jump at the contact. He grabs Gon's arms, and starts to adjust them, moving them up and to the right, if only a hair. Gon feels his breath hitch as Kite gently removes his hands from his arms, and to his shoulders, as if to support him. "Alright, pull back and fire." His says softly, as Gon pulls the slide back, sucks in a breath, and squeezes the trigger. 

Pop!

Gon had closed his eyes, and carefully opens them, to see a hole in the second ring from the bullseye. He lets out the breath he had been holding, as Kite pats Gon's back. 

"Great job! But, you could still use some work. Let's keep going."

\--

Pop!

Gon opens his eyes. Bullseye. 

"Absolutely amazing. Three in a row!" Kite sighs, almost in wonder. It had been about an hour, and Gon had improved vastly. Kite had taught him all kinds of techniques to use when shooting. Now he was a little sharpshooter! Er, probably, Gon assured himself. Sweat runs down his back, as he realizes how small and stuffy this room is. Kite was also a sweaty mess. Gon grins. 

"You have a room here, right?"

"Er, yes, why?"

"We're both all sticky! We should take a bath together!" Gon says sunnily, catching Kite caught off guard. He sputters for a second, brain overwhelmed by the proposition, an image of Gon's body covered in suds flashed in his mind suddenly, making the tall man nearly fall over. 

"I-I mean, um, ah..." Kite stutters, unable to make a coherent sentence. Before he can gather his wits, Gon grabs his wrist, dragging the man out of the room and towards the elevators. Kite supposed the boy already made the decision for him, which was a resounding 'yes'. Oh well, he wanted to anyway, Kite thought, which made him want to gargle with holy water. 

Gon slams on the elevator button, looks back at an exasperated Kite,  and beams that sunny smile that made heads turn. 

Maybe this wasn't going to be that bad.

\--

Kite fumbles to get out his room key, face ablaze. He finally scans it,  the lock makes a little beep noise, and the sound of a lock coming undone. Gon has Kite's wrist In an excited deadlock, As he jumps up and down. Kite finally turned the knob, letting the two of them into his hotel room. It was neat as could be, as Kite hated clutter. He sets his key on the bed, as Gon follows eagerly behind. 

He almost immediately begins to strip as he hops up on the bed, off with the headband, unclip the garter belt, pull off the stocking, pull off the heels, unhook the collar, peel off the gloves... And finally, Gon was just in his body suit. Kite was watching with abject horror at what he was doing, but the back of his mind was on fire with lust. He was almost disgusted at himself. 

"Aren't you going to strip too?" Gon asks, voice as innocent as ever. Kite swallows the lump in his throat.

"Ah, yes. Give me a second." Kite shyly slips off his vest, and unbuttons his dress shirt, letting both drop to the floor dramatically. Kite pauses as he unbuttons his pants, face burning up. He hears Gon's feet hit the carpeted ground, and walk over towards him. The boy grabs his wrist, olive skin contrasting against pale. 

"C'mon, we can finish in the bathroom!" Gon says cheerily. Pulling the tall man over to the bathroom. As they enter, Gon immediately hops over to the bathtub, pulling the curtains out, and turning the water on. He sticks his hand under the tap, testing the temperature. Once he's satisfied with it, he plugs up the tub, and moves to get the elegant looking bottle of bubble bath. He dumps a generous amount in, sticking a hand in the water to stir the soap up, bubbles consuming it. Gon then Looks up at Kite, smiling excitedly. 

Kite's heart leapt up in his throat as Gon looked at him expectantly. Well, it was do or die. Kite sucks in a breath as he unbuttons his pants, letting them fall to his ankles. Gon still stares, highly interested. At least he was wearing a simple pair of blue boxers, Kite secretly thanks God as he steps out of the dress pants. 

"Alright, it's my turn!" Gon calls sunnily, as he reaches behind himself, grabbing onto the small, invisible zipper on his back. Kite felt like he was going to vomit up his guts and pass out, he was so nervous. But he still watches intently, feeling all of his sins weighing on his back. 

The sound of the zipper makes Kite shiver, as Gon's hand reaches the base of the body suit, and it drops to the ground. 

Kite unconsciously stares at Gon's toned body, breath hitched. "Alright." Kite mumbles, flustered. "My turn, then." Kite steps out of his boxers, hair covering his eyes, as he was extremely emberassed. But Gon said nothing, he just had a cheery smile on his face. 

"C'mon, let's go!" Gon says gesturing to the bath. Kite responds by scooping Gon up, making the boy squeak, steps in the bath, and sits down, putting Gon between his legs, back against his chest. The warm water was perfect, just slightly burning their skin, but a pleasant burn. The bubbles enveloped the both of them, starting to remove the sweat sticking to their skin. 

"Ahh~ this is so nice~" Gon says dreamily, sinking into the water. He didn't notice Kites erection at all, which made things a lot less awkward. Kite sighs in relief, trying to ignore his arousal, trying to enjoy the bath. But all he could think about was the boy in between his legs, his perfectly tanned skin, his very kissable lips, cute nose, breathtaking eyes...

Kite was in trouble.


End file.
